Organization XIII vs MAR: The Three Way War
by Lightningsaix78913
Summary: Organization XIII is in search of new worlds. They finally find one, but it's already in turmoil. What's is the Organization's plan for this world, and what does Ginta think of these newcomers from another world?
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone, Lightningsaix here. So after trying and scraping two other KH fanfics, I decided that doing a crossover between my favorite video game and my favorite anime would be best. _

_A bit of background: This story takes place before Chain of Memories, but after Roxas has been created. Anyways, I think that's all for now. I've got a lot more chapters coming up, some if you like what you read check back often. Until then, read, review, and enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 1: In Search of Worlds _

_Where Nothing Gathers_ was, in Roxas' opinion, one of the strangest and most unique rooms in the entire castle. It was a brilliantly white circular room that had thirteen tall white thrones situated against the walls. Each chair varied in height, with the most skilled members having the highest chairs. The room was also unique in that it had no doors or windows – it was only accessible by Corridor of Darkness.

The room also served as the council chambers for the Organization – where the members would meet and discuss new developments, and where Xemnas would assign missions. It was in yet another one of these meetings that Roxas found himself today.

Roxas leaned his head on his hand, his elbow resting on the armrest as he tried to stay awake during another one of Vexen's long-winded speeches. He was lecturing on and on today – more about the Heartless - and Roxas couldn't help but think of what he'd rather being doing than sitting here – like eating ice cream with Axel in Twilight Town.

"The Heartless, as you all may know, are attracted to hearts – particularly, the hearts of the sapient beings that inhabit these worlds. Their ultimate goal, of course, is to consume the very heart of said world," Vexen droned, completely unaware that half of the members were staring sleepily off into space. "Which leaves our organization in a very tricky position: we need the Heartless in order to complete Kingdom Hearts – in order to complete us – and the only way to do this is to destroy them. However, if we were to destroy all of the Heartless, then they would not be able to corrupt more hearts and make more Heartless, meaning that our supply of hearts will run dry-"

"Does this story have a point?" Xigbar said, cutting off Vexen, much to the relief of the other members. "Or, more importantly, an end?" Larxene burst out laughing; Vexen looked scandalized. Roxas looked around the room at the others. Most of the senior members, while relieved, gave Xigbar reproving looks. The newer members were much more willing to express their opinions.

"I agree," Luxord said with a grin. "Why not we cash in our chips and call it a day? We can finish the game tomorrow."

"You insolent-" Vexen began, but Saix cut him off.

"Get to the point, Vexen." Vexen glared at Saix, but he didn't dare argue with the second-in-command.

"My point was-" Vexen said, shooting a nasty look over at Xigbar. Xigbar rolled his eye, his finger tracing the motion on his eye patch. "-that we desperately need to find new worlds filled with fresh hearts that we can add to Kingdom Hearts. The worlds that we currently know about have almost run dry."

"So, that's easy," Demyx said. There was a large red hand-shaped mark from where he had fallen asleep, only to be jerked awake by the last argument. "We just send someone out to find more worlds. I suggest…someone who isn't me."

"It's not that simple, Demyx," Zexion said, rolling his eyes. "If it were, than we wouldn't be having this meeting." Demyx, who had looked about ready to leave, slouched back in his chair.

"Well, why _can't_ we just find new worlds?" Roxas said. "Demyx is right, how hard can it be?" Zexion looked disgusted with his ignorance.

"We have found new worlds, Roxas, but they are all virtually empty."

"Huh?"

"The new worlds that we've found are uninhabited, and the few worlds that do have life don't have enough intelligent beings to be worth our while." Roxas leaned back in his chair, unsure of what to say.

"So, than, what do we do?" he said hopelessly.

"We double our search efforts," Saix said calmly. "This meeting was called to inform you that until further notice you will all be sent out to search for new worlds, in addition to your usual tasks."

Roxas' shoulders fell. More work? He barely had any free time as it was with his usual heart gathering, and now he wouldn't even have time for his daily Sea Salt Ice Cream with Axel. He wasn't the only one who was displeased. Demyx looked crestfallen; Axel rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Larxene – acted like Larxene.

"This blows!" she shouted. "Like hell I'm working double duty! Make Drama over there do it, he barely works as it is!" She said, pointing at Demyx. Demyx looked about ready to cry.

"No way! I work just like the rest of you. Keep to yourself, witc-"

"Enough," a deep voice rang through the air. The two instantly stopped bickering. You didn't talk when Xemnas was. "You've each been given your duties. Be glad that your extra efforts are hastening us to our ultimate goal. With every heart we collect we get closer to being complete beings. With every heart, we get closer to Kingdom Hearts." He paused for a moment, his yellow eyes sweeping the room and pausing for a moment on Roxas. "The meeting is adjourned," he said, and he quickly disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness.

"I suggest you all get rest, you'll need it," Saix said, before he too disappeared.

"This is your fault, Water-boy," Larxene said before leaving.

"What a witch, am I right?" Demyx said to Roxas before he, too left. The other members left without saying anything, until only Roxas, and one other were left.

"Hey, Roxas," Axel said with a smile. "Let's go get some ice cream."

* * *

Ginta's eyes snapped open as he woke. It took him a second to remember where he was, and why he was lying outside in a sleeping bag. Ginta sat up and looked around. He took one glance at the dark blue swirl that was the sky and remembered at once – he was still in the Training Gate with Princess Snow and Babbo. He lifted his head slightly as he glanced at the silver ball that was quietly snoozing besides him. Ginta was still slightly at awe with all of the new people and creatures he had met. Ginta closed his eyes again as he reviewed all that had happened to him.

A couple of weeks ago he was simply Ginta Toramizu, a regular old eighth grade kid living in Tokyo. Then one day during class, he was taken to another world, called MAR Heaven where all of the different characters and creatures from the fairy tales back home were real, and people used magical tools called ARM that would transform from simple jewelry or accessories to powerful weapons or guardians. Ginta paused for a moment as he tried to remember all the different types of ARM that existed – since he was going to be using them in his upcoming battles, he had better know all the different forms they can take. Suddenly his head was filled with Snow's voice.

"_There are many different types of ARM, Ginta. There are Common ARM that act as various tools and equipment for day to day life; there are weapon ARM that can summon all different types of weapons for its user; there are Elemental ARM that allow the user to manipulate different elements. Light ARM can heal people, and Dark ARM hold all sorts of power, at the cost of the user, of course. Oh, and I almost forgot about Guardian ARM. These ARM summon a guardian to protect its user, who can't move from the spot that he summoned it at. And there are Dimension ARM, like the Training Gate. That's where we are now!" _

Ginta was impressed that he remembered all of that. He reviewed the conversation a few more times to make sure that he had it all, than he went back to trying to make sense of all that had happened over the past couple of weeks.

As soon as he got to MAR he met a witch named Dorothy, and soon after that he found Babbo, who was a talking ball and chain ARM. Then he met Jack, who used to be a farmer before he joined up with Ginta and Babbo. After that they ran into Alviss, who was only a little older that he was, except that Alviss had much more experience fighting than he did. After that they met Princess Snow, and her loyal dog Edward. Edward was unique among the group, in that besides being a talking dog, he also shared his body with Alan, an extremely powerful member of the Cross Guard. Witches, princess, talking dogs… Ginta still couldn't get over how this adventure was just like one big fairy tale.

Ginta smiled as he remembered how he felt when his dreams finally came true, and the Gate Keeper Clown, a very rare dimension ARM, offered him the chance to go to MAR. At first he was full to bursting with excitement at the new world, but he had to admit that he did miss his mom, and his friend, Koyuki.

Ginta rolled onto his back and folded his arms under his head. He gazed up at the twirling lights gently rotating overhead. He scanned the night sky for any stars or constellations that he knew, but the night sky was just as foreign to him as the rest of MAR was. Ginta's stomach clenched as he remembered just how different this world was, his thoughts turning to his newfound enemies – the Chess Pieces.

Ginta sighed as he remembered about the Chess Pieces. At first he thought that MAR was such a peaceful world, but he quickly learned that this was not the case. Six years before he got to MAR, the evil Chess Pieces launched an all out war against the peaceful people of MAR. Oddly enough, somebody else from his world had been summoned to MAR then, and he was able to defeat the Chess Pieces' leader, Phantom. Unfortunately, Phantom was brought back to life, and it looked like Ginta was going to have to defeat him this time, or else all of the people of MAR would suffer.

Ginta, rolled over and tried to get comfortable again, but after a few moments of wrestling with his blanket he admitted defeat and sat up.

"Ginta?" a soft, sleepy voice said.

"Oh, sorry, Koy-" Ginta caught himself. He was still amazed at how much she looked like his childhood friend Koyuki. "-I mean Snow. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh, it's all right," she said, rubbing her eye. "Can't you sleep?"

"Nah, I'm too excited about fighting the Chess Pieces," Ginta said, smiling. "I want to see how much stronger I've gotten!"

"But aren't you scared? Even a little?" she asked with her usual worried look.

"Of course not!" Ginta said, a little louder than he had intended. "I mean, I'm the hero of this story right? I've got to fight my hardest to defeat the Chess Pieces so that no more innocent people get hurt. That's what heroes do, right?" Snow smiled and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"You know, it's really hard to sleep when my squire keeps flirting so loudly," Babbo said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Ginta could feel himself going red, so he quickly turned his attention to the metal ball.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Bubble-head!" he said, planting his foot firmly in the back of the metal ball that served as Babbo's head. "And I'm not your squire!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" Babbo said indignantly. "And get your foot off of my head! It's filthy!"

"I'm not filthy! You're the one that goes bouncing on the ground all day!" Ginta shouted, seizing Babbo's long black moustache and pulling.

"How dare you!"

"Boys…" Snow said quietly, shaking her head as she rolled over onto her side, leaving Ginta and Babbo to wrestle on the grass.

* * *

"Hey, there you are, Roxas."

Roxas stumbled, half awake, into The Grey Area, which acted as a lounge for the other members to relax in. Axel was waiting for him.

"About time you showed up, everyone else is already gone. Even Demyx is out 'working'," he said, putting special emphasis on the last word. Roxas looked around the empty room; ever since Saix had issued his scouting order, most of the members worked from dusk till dawn. The Grey Area was just like the rest of The World That Never Was – cold and silent.

"Hey, Roxas, you awake?" Axel said, snapping his fingers in his face. Roxas was pulled from his stupor.

"Yeah, just a little tired," he said truthfully. "So where to today?"

Roxas and Axel had been teaming up for their missions lately. It was the only way Roxas could complete both his scouting missions and heart collection missions.

"I found a new Corridor that we haven't been through yet," Axel said as he stretched out his hand, a black obsidian portal appearing, waiting for them to enter. "It's somewhere between Twilight Town and Hollow Bastion, so I'm not really sure what to expect." Roxas nodded. Usually Organization XIII tried to work covertly (Xemnas explained that there were many beings who would seek to oppose the Organization if they were ever discovered), but there had been more than a few times where he and Axel had been forced to fight.

"Come on," Roxas said. "The sooner we get this done, the better. I don't know about you, but I've been craving some ice cream lately."

"Well, than hurry up," Axel said, laughing. "If you hadn't slept in, I'd be done already," he said over his shoulder as he disappeared through the portal. Roxas rolled his eyes and followed behind him.

Roxas stepped out of the portal and gasped. It appeared as though the two Nobodies had stepped into a battleground. They were in the middle of a burning and crumbling city; freshly slain corpses littered the stone plaza that they had stumbled into. Axel let out a low whistle.

"Man, what do you think happened here?" he said, scratching his red hair.

"I don't know," Roxas said, stooping down to examine one of the fallen. The man had a large wound in his stomach, his sword still clenched in his hands. "Do you think it was the Heartless?" Axel shook his head.

"The Heartless don't leave dead bodies…" He said bitterly as he strode towards one of the corpses. "It looks like it was two armies fighting," he said. "See, a lot of them are dressed normally, but these other ones have masks on, kind of like a uniform." Roxas couldn't help but feel sick at the massacre.

"So…so should we look around a bit?" He asked, trying to sound normal. Axel opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by a shout from across the plaza.

"Hey! You two!" Roxas stood up as he looked for the source of the voice. "Freeze!"

"Uh-oh," Axel said. "Looks like we've got company," he said, nodding towards three men running towards them. Two of them had white and silver spears in their hands, while the middle one had two large blades attached to his arms. They wore identical masks, just like some of the dead soldiers.

"What should we do?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know," Axel said, shrugging. "Let's just play it cool."

The three men stopped in front of them and raised their weapons.

"Give it to us, now!" The middle one said, pressing the point of one of his blades into Axel's chest. "Or else!"

Axel glanced sideways at Roxas. Roxas shrugged; he had no idea what was going on either.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Axel said, brushing the blade away. "Give you what? We don't have anything." The masked soldier, apparently feeling as though Axel was too big to fight, instead directed his weapon towards Roxas.

"The Dimension ARM that you just used. We're confiscating it." Axel and Roxas exchanged confused looks.

"What's an ARM?" Roxas asked.

"Don't play dumb with us," one of the other men said. "The Chess Pieces are entitled to all powerful ARM, so cough it up, or we'll use lethal force."

"Seriously, guys, we have no idea what you're talking about," Axel said, backing away from the men. "So why don't you just put your spears away, and we can just go our separate ways?"

"So much for covert," Roxas said, backing away from the blade still pointed at his chest. The man in the middle nodded at his companions, who lifted their spears, ready to fight.

"Well," the man said with a little chuckle. "If you won't give it to us willingly, then we'll just have to take it," he said. He suddenly whirled about and lunged at Axel. Axel calmly stepped aside, and the man stumbled to the ground. His two companions ran to his aid and lifted him up.

"Listen," Axel shouted, his temper flaring up. "I don't know who you are, I don't know who the Chess Pieces are, and I don't know what an ARM is, but if you guys want to fight, then I'll guess we'll just have to shelve this whole covert thing and have a little fun!" Suddenly, a ball of flame erupted from each hand. The three soldiers stepped back as the flame expanded, revealing two red and silver chakrams spinning in his hands. "Got it memorized?"

The three men exchanged worried glances.

"What's the matter?" Axel said, grinning. "Don't tell me you're scared."

The head soldier, who had frozen at the sudden appearance of Axel's weapons, seemed to have regained some of his nerve, and he rushed at Axel. The soldier thrust his spear, and Axel blocked it. He quickly spun around and threw one of his chakrams. There was a clang of metal on metal as the masked soldier blocked it. Axel clenched his fist, and the chakram began to spin wildly, grinding against the spear. One of the other soldiers rushed to help, and Axel leapt forward, his chakram catching him in the chest.

The leader, meanwhile, was still occupied by Axel's spinning chakram. He thrust his arms forward, sending the chakram spinning back into Axel's outstretched hand.

The third soldier, who up until this point had seemed too scared to move, dashed forward and pulled the other comrade to his feet.

"Sir," he said, rather shakily. "What should we do?"

The leader paused for a moment, his eyes lingering on Axel's chakrams.

"Let's head back to base, men," he said, backing away. "And remember, if Halloween asks, we didn't find anything, got it?"

"Yes sir!" The other two said. Roxas watched with confused amusement as the three soldiers turned on their heels and ran out of the square.

"What was that all about?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know," Axel said, his chakrams disappearing with a puff of smoke. "And by the way, thanks for the help," he said, grinning.

"You seemed to handle it pretty well," Roxas said with a smile. "So what now?"

Axel took a quick look around, before turning to Roxas.

"I guess we can head back to the castle," he said as he created another portal. "It looks like we've already found out all that we need."

"Umm, we have?" Roxas said, raising an eyebrow.

"Jeez, you really aren't all here to today, are you?" Axel said, punching Roxas in the shoulder.

"What's that's supposed to mean?" Roxas said, punching him back.

"Use your head, Roxas," Axel said, tapping his own. "There obviously are enough sentient beings here to make this world useful to the Organization. Know we just report it and let Xemnas decide what to do with it."

"Okay than," Roxas said. "That was easy… So, want to go get some ice cream?"

Axel nodded, and they both walked into the portal.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. I'm almost done with all my finals, but I thought I'd get this Chapter updated. Hope everyone likes it!_

_So a few things. This chapter has a lot going on, and it's probably going to leave you with a lot of questions - especially about certain characters' motives. Don't worry, I'll address all of that in later chapters. _

_If you like the fight thats coming up thats great, cause there's going to be a lot more later on!_

_Until then, enjoy! _

* * *

Once again Roxas found himself in _Where Nothing Gathers_; but this time the atmosphere could not have been more different. Instead of struggling to stay awake, Roxas waited with silent curiosity.

Saix had just recently called off their search for new worlds, instructing everyone back to their former duties full time. This could only mean that someone had found a world worth exploiting, and Roxas couldn't help but wonder if it was the world that he and Axel had found.

Of course, Saix wasn't thrilled when they reported what had happened.

_"You were seen?" _he had said, not bothering to hide the coldness in his voice._ "How many times must I remind you two? We run a covert operation._"

Roxas had tried to explain, but Saix simply cut him off and reassigned him and Axel to separate worlds. That day was the last time that he and Axel had been able to have any extended conversation.

Roxas glanced over at Axel. He was deep in conversation with Zexion. Roxas was trying to think of some way to get his attention when a Corridor of Darkness opened up onto the only empty seat. The conversation cut off as Saix settled into his chair.

"Let us call this meeting to order," Xemnas said. "Today is a fortunate day for the Organization. Our search for new worlds is over. One has been discovered that will be most suitable for our needs."

"The new world is called MAR-Heaven," Saix said. "We discovered it a few days ago, and have since been scouting the area. It has been concluded that it would be a suitable candidate for the Heartless. Xaldin," he said, addressing the Nobody to his right. Xaldin unfolded his arms.

"MAR is a heavily inhabited world," he said, his voice reverberating around the room. "The world is mostly made up of humans, although it is not uncommon for some of the other creatures to express some form of intelligence," he said, and even though he spoke with a somewhat soft voice, he was much better at holding Roxas's attention than Vexen.

"There are two main factions in MAR: The Cross Guard and the Chess Piece Army. They appear to be mutual enemies; the Chess Pieces are attempting – and have attempted in the past – to bring the different kingdoms of MAR under their rule. The Cross Guard is opposing them."

"Wait, so they've tried to take over MAR before?" Roxas interrupted. "So the Chess Pieces lost?"

"It would appear as such," Zexion said. "But let's let Xaldin finish his report. Then you can ask questions."

Roxas slumped back into his seat. It was really weird being reprimanded by someone only a few years older than he.

"It is true that the Chess Pieces have attempted this endeavor before – six years ago, to be exact," Xaldin continued. "The leaders of each faction killed each other, causing the Chess Pieces to disband. Recently their leader – Phantom – was revived and the Chess Pieces have since reorganized. They've launched another campaign against MAR, and this time they've caught the Cross Guard… off guard. They've quickly conquered almost all of MAR, and are preparing to cement their rule."

"So what does all this have to do with us?" Axel said. "What's the point of this meeting?"

"The point, Axel, is that MAR is filled with powerful warriors who could easily repel the Heartless," Saix said impatiently. "Our goal is to help things along."

"And how do we do that?" Larxene said. "Kill them all?"

"We will be getting to that point in a moment," Saix said. "Stop interrupting." He gestured for Xaldin to continue.

"As we speak the Chess Pieces are organizing a tournament, called the War Games-"

"War Games?" Xigbar said, smirking. Xaldin was beginning to look annoyed at the continued interruptions. "I was under the impression that they were at war, not playing games."

"Hence the name _War_ Games," Zexion said impatiently. "Still, I'm curious as well. Surely you've found out more, Xaldin?"

Xaldin nodded. "The Chess Pieces have already devastated most of the world of MAR. Their initial attack was precise and merciless. Most of the Cross Guard has already been wiped out. The War Games are the Chess Piece's attempt to search out any leaders and destroy them before they can organize retaliation. The battles are heavily publicized, so that the people can see their heroes fail," he said with a smirk.

"What brilliant strategy," Marluxia said. "The people see their leaders fall at the hands of a merciless and omnipotent enemy. Their morale will be crushed."

"That is their plan," Xaldin said. "The most powerful warriors of MAR will be competing. It would be an opportune time for us to make our move."

"You suggest that we participate?" Zexion said, raising his eyebrows. "Wouldn't that be risky? We don't even know how they fight. I don't like the idea of us going into combat with an enemy we've never seen fight."

"Axel fought them," Roxas said. "When we discovered the world, we were attacked by some soldiers. He beat them easily."

"Those were Pawns, Roxas," Xaldin said. "The lowest of the low in the Chess Piece's hierarchy. The warriors that will be participating will be much more powerful."

"They kept asking us about ARM," Axel said offhandedly. "I think they were talking about our dark portals."

Xaldin nodded again and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small silver bracelet.

"Weapon ARM, Short Sword!" he shouted, and the bracelet suddenly was enveloped in a bright red light, transforming the bracelet into a small sword.

"This is an ARM," Xaldin said. "Magical pieces of jewelry that can transform into any number of objects. From what I've gathered, this is just a simple ARM," he said as the sword transformed back into a bracelet. "Most others are much more complex and can hold any number of different powers and abilities. I'd assume that the Chess Pieces would have very powerful ARM in their possession."

"But why would the Chess Pieces agree to a tournament?" Roxas asked. "Why risk losing their strongest warriors?"

"They must be fairly confident in their abilities," Zexion said, leaning forward. "If they're as powerful as you suggest, Xaldin, I doubt that any one of us could take on either the Cross Guard or the Chess Pieces alone."

"I have already organized a team for this mission," Saix said. "Xaldin, Axel, Luxord, Xigbar, Roxas, Demyx (Demyx groaned loudly), and I will go to MAR and make sure that it is in its optimum state for a Heartless invasion.

"You are assigning seven of us?" Zexion said. "That's over half our numbers. Are you sure that it is wise for us to waste the manpower?"

"Both myself and Lord Xemnas have agreed that this number is not only adequate but necessary," Saix said. "This meeting was called to brief you all on the situation… that is all. This is not negotiable. Those of you whom I called should meet in the Grey Area first thing tomorrow. That's-"

"Wait," Roxas said. "I still have a question." Even Roxas new that this was trying Saix's patience, but if he was going back to this world he wanted to know as much about the mission as possible.

"What is it, Roxas?"

"What exactly are we going to be doing in MAR?"

"Weren't you listening?" Larxene said loudly. "Jeez, I thought we'd seen the dumbest when Demyx joined."

"Hey!" Demyx retorted, but Saix cut him off.

"Enough," he said calmly, and the two Nobodies instantly fell silent; Larxene smiled as Demyx slumped back into his seat.

"In short, Roxas, we will be participating in the War Games to make sure that the strongest warriors fall. If that is all-"

"Which side are we fighting on?"

Saix sighed.

"We will be participating on the side of the Chess Pieces. I have already met with Phantom. He agreed to let us fight alongside his army."

"Why? I thought they were the evil ones. Why would we want to help them?" Roxas asked. Saix seemed to be on the edge of his patience, so Xaldin answered.

"It would be in our best interests to leave the Chess Pieces alive. The Cross Guard is only useful to us when they are dead."

"Why is that?"

"It is clear, isn't it?" Marluxia said. "Extinguish the warriors of light…and let the darkness in the hearts of the Chess Pieces consume them. They will fall by their own hand."

"Precisely," Xaldin said. "The Chess Pieces will make powerful Heartless…perhaps even some new Nobodies."

"Oh," Roxas said simply. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He never had any qualms about fighting before, but this time was different. He felt uneasy about helping people who were oppressing others.

"If that is all," Saix said, cutting Roxas's thoughts short. "This meeting is-"

Once again Saix was cut off midsentence. Roxas thought that this would be the last straw for Saix, until he realized who was talking.

"I wonder," Xemnas said quietly, as though he was speaking only to himself. "This world is of grave importance to the Organization. If we are successful in making its denizens Heartless, than we could complete Kingdom Hearts with only this one world. I am worried that your numbers will be too few to guarantee success." The entire room was silent as they waited for Xemnas to finish his thoughts. He suddenly looked towards Saix. "That is why I am assigning Zexion as my personal representative. To report back to me on any complications that could arise."

Every pair of eyes in the room was darting between Xemnas and Saix. Saix appeared to be just as calm as usual, but for a moment a flash of malice was visible in his eyes. It soon was gone, and Saix was back to his usual calm self.

"Don't worry, Saix, this mission is still under your command," Xemnas said with a small smile. Saix nodded and once again addressed the group.

"This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

The following day Roxas, Axel, and the others chosen for the mission to MAR met up in the Grey Area. Roxas once again was late. The other members were already gathered around a Corridor of Darkness.

"Sorry," he said. Saix didn't even glance at him.

"I hope that all of you are prepared to fight. This mission is important, so treat it as you would any other." Roxas smiled. If Demyx treated it like that, he'd probably just sleep through his match.

"Let's go," Saix said, walking through the portal, the others following.

The Corridor that they took exited in a large, high ceiling room. The room was dimly lit, with only some torches lining the stone walls. There were many large stone pillars running on either side of the room. At one end of the room was a set of large purple double doors; at the other was a small set of steps that led to a large throne, where a man was reclining, silently observing the newcomers. He was wearing a dark-blue sleeveless shirt and matching pants. He had spiky silver hair, but the rest of his face was concealed behind a small white mask that left only his mouth visible, and his left arm was heavily bandaged. Next to him stood a slightly older man with long silver hair, a flowing black robe and a tall pointed red hat.

"So, you made it back," the man in the chair said with a bemused smile on his face. "I was hoping that you would."

Saix approached the man, the others following.

"You still plan on letting us compete, Phantom?" he said calmly, his deep voice contrasting heavily with the other man's softer tone.

"Of course," Phantom said. "I take it that these are your warriors?"

Saix nodded.

"We are all ready to compete, sooner rather than later." Phantom shifted slightly as he rested his head on his hand, his odd smile still on his face.

"Not quite yet," he said. "I still need proof that you are up to our standards. This year's opponents could prove to be quite the challenge."

"What kind of proof do you need?" Saix asked.

"We will be hosting the preliminary rounds in a few minutes. Usually we would have the Cross Guard fight Pawns, to make sure we weed out the weaker fighters, but I've always found that it is more enjoyable to throw a Knight into the pot. Perhaps one of your men could fill in?"

Saix nodded and turned to his right.

"Axel, you will be fighting." Axel didn't respond; he simply nodded. He was still intently observing Phantom. Phantom smiled.

"I have good news, Chimera," he said, addressing someone behind the Nobodies. Roxas turned around and saw another man standing in the shadows. He wore an oddly shaped skull mask that covered all of his face; only his green hair was visible. He was also dressed differently than the other two. He wore full length purple robes, and he had his arms folded into the sleeves. "You won't have to fight in the preliminary round after all. We have found a replacement. Besides, don't you have a punishment to carry out?"

The masked figure didn't speak. He nodded his head in recognition and than disappeared from sight.

"Good," Phantom said, turning back to the Nobodies. "Axel, was it?"

Axel, who suddenly seemed to have snapped out of his focus, waved his hand.

"Yup, that's me."

"The preliminary rounds will be beginning soon. I'll have Peta teleport you the arena. Good luck. I must admit that I'd be disappointed if our new allies were out of the running before the games had even started," he added as an afterthought.

"Axel is one of our best," Saix assured him. He turned to Axel. "Don't lose," he murmured.

"Hey, this'll be easy," he said as he put his hood up. The man standing next to Phantom stepped forward.

"If you are ready," he said, frowning slightly. He lifted up a small chain that had a small orb attached to it. "To the battle!" he shouted, and Axel disappeared.

* * *

For a second Axel floated in nothingness; all he could hear was the sound of a non-existent wind. After a few more moments he found himself in a strange world. All around him was a swirling mix of what looked like red smoke.

"Huh, I like the décor," he said to himself as he searched for his opponent. Standing about twenty feet away from him was an old man. He had spiky grey hair and a grey goatee, and he wore a full length blue coat that fastened in the front, with a red sash tied around his waist. But it was his posture that gave Axel the most information. He stood with his arms held behind his back, an air of calm confidence surrounding him. Axel could tell that he was strong – probably a general.

"You must be my opponent then?" Axel said with a friendly wave. "I didn't expect to be fighting an old man."

"Let's get this over with, Pawn," the man said gruffly. He stuck out his arm; Axel noticed a small bracelet hanging loosely from his wrist. That must be his ARM.

"Weapon ARM, Hrunting!" the man called, and the bracelet shone with a bright light as it transformed into in a large broadsword.

"Huh, to the point. I like that," Axel said as he stretched out his hands. A ball of fire appeared in each palm, exploding outward as the flames and smoke spiraled around his hands, revealing his two spinning chakram. The old man's eyes narrowed.

"That's a fairly unique ARM for a Pawn," he said as he examined the chakram. "Who are you? Lower your hood."

"Rather not," Axel said as he swung one of his chakram lazily from his fingers. "You and I are of the same mind. We want this battle over with. So let's stop chatting already and fight," Axel said with a grin. Time to see how strong the people of MAR really are.

The old man's expression was unchanging as he took his stance.

"If you are so eager to die, Pawn…" he said before charging at Axel. There was a clang of metal as Axel blocked the strike. He spun around, his chakram aimed for the man's stomach.

The old man calmly stepped to the side as he parried the strike. He raised his arm and placed his open palm near Axel's face.

"Nature ARM, Dragon's Breath!"

Axel could feel the heat splash against his check as the air suddenly combusted, sending Axel sliding back. Axel grimaced slightly as he reoriented himself.

"This fight's over," the man said as Axel straightened back up. "I'm going to kill you quickly."

Axel grinned. This old man was a bit more challenging than those Pawns. Only just, though.

"You're stronger than you look, old man," he said, his chakram beginning to spin in his hands. "But you've made a big mistake – underestimating me!" he shouted, his chakram suddenly engulfed in flame. The old man tensed as he shifted into a defensive stance.

Axel sprinted forward, his chakram lashing out as he slashed away, the old man barely blocking Axel's ferocious strikes. Axel pressed the assault, forcing the old man backwards until he saw an opening in his defense. He forced his shoulder into the man's chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

Axel raised his arms over his head, ready to deliver the finishing blow. He swung down, his chakram aimed for the man's skull. There was another clang as the man blocked it.

"What!" Axel shouted. The old man had locked his sword with Axel's chakram. The two struggled for a moment, their eyes locked as they both pushed with all their might.

"You shouldn't underestimate me," the old man said, and with a snap of his wrist he forced Axel's arms apart, leaving him wide open. The old man slashed vertically, his sword slicing cleanly through air.

"No!" The old man shouted as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, yes," Axel whispered in his ear. Axel had pivoted behind him, his chakram raised to strike. The old man spun around, swinging low for Axel's legs, but Axel was already high in the air - the old man was defenseless.

"Burn, baby!" Axel shouted, hurling his two flaming chakram down. They crashed into the old man, engulfing him in flame and steel.

Axel landed, his chakram shooting back into his hands. The old man was kneeling, defeated.

"I'm surprised you're still alive," Axel said, cocking an eyebrow. The old man was definitely defeated, but besides a few scrapes and burns, he looked unharmed. "You're something, old man."

"How…could… a… Pawn…" the old man said, and with that, he disappeared leaving Axel alone among the red smoke.

"So, what, did I win?" Axel said, his chakram disappearing. The room suddenly vanished, leaving Axel floating in darkness once again.

* * *

Ginta reappeared in the courtyard of Regenfield Castle, a crowd of people waiting. He had just finished his preliminary fight. He had beaten the Pawn easily – one swift punch with Babbo Version One was all it took. He was actually a little disappointed that the battle was so easy. But he still had the rest of the War Games to fight in – there should definitely be some harder fights later on.

"You made it back!" Edward said. Ginta gave the dog a thumbs-up.

"Too easy," he said, and the crowd cheered. Ginta was worried though. "Wait, Ed, where are the others?" he said as he scanned the courtyard.

"They should be back soon," Edward said. Sure enough, the courtyard was filled with light as the others teleported back. Jack, Snow, Dorothy, Alviss, and Nanashi had all won their battles.

"I did it, Ginta!" Jack shouted. "I won!"

"Alright Jack!" Ginta said, slapping his hand. "But where are all the other Cross Guard that entered? They won their matches too, right?" Ginta turned to look at Pozan, the referee.

"It looks like you were the only ones to survive," the purple imp said. "I have to admit, there are much fewer challengers this time around. Last time there were at least thirty participants – it's a shame, really."

"Where's Gaira?" Alviss said, looking around urgently. Another light appeared in the courtyard as the old man appeared. He was kneeling on the ground, clutching his arm.

"I can't believe I lost," Gaira said, a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry, everyone." Snow rushed forward, her Healing Angel ARM clasped in her hand.

The crowd gasped and began talking anxiously. The captain of the Cross Guard was defeated before the games had even started? Ginta couldn't believe it.

"But how could you lose to a Pawn?" Alviss said. "That isn't possible!"

"Oh, he didn't lose to a Pawn," Pozan said, smiling.

"But you said-" Ginta shouted.

"I never said that all of the preliminary matches were against Pawns - only most of them. Phantom likes to throw a Knight into the bunch to keep things interesting. Come on out, Chimera." Another light shown next to Pozan as a tall figure appeared beside him. The man was dressed in a long black cloak that went all the way down to his black boots. The man didn't seem to have any ARM at all, unless those silver pull-strings where his ARM. Ginta tried to make out the man's face, but his hood was concealing it.

"This is Chimera," Pozan said. "A Knight…wait!" he said once he had turned to look. "You aren't Chimera! Who are you?"

"I'm his replacement," the man said.

"But you're not a Chess Piece," Pozan said.

"Well, you know Phantom," the man said. "He always likes things to be interesting."

"Who is this guy?" Ginta asked Alviss. He definitely didn't look like a Chess Piece.

"I don't know," Alviss said, his eyes locked on the newcomer. "But I don't like this. If he could defeat Gaira…he'd have to be Bishop level, at least."

"He's strong, Alviss," Gaira said as he approached the group. Snow's healing ARM had done the trick – all of Gaira's wounds had been healed, but he still looked as though he were in pain.

"But not that strong," Gaira said. "I didn't take him seriously enough. That's why I lost."

"Huh, I guess you didn't learn anything old man," the black coated man said. Ginta was beginning to get annoyed.

"Who are you?" he shouted at the cloaked man. "If you aren't a Chess Piece, then why are you fighting in the War Games?"  
"I'm not telling," the man said cheerfully. Ginta frowned. The man was enjoying this too much.

"Listen, I'd like to head back to wherever Phantom is," the man said to Pozan. "So if you could teleport me there…"

"Oh, yes, of course…" Pozan said. A bright light shown around the man and he was gone.

"Who was that?" Ginta said. "I want answers!"

"I don't think anyone knows," Babbo said. "Even Pozan seemed surprised."

"So what now?" Jack asked. "We won our fights, so when does the tournament start?"

"The tournament will officially begin tomorrow morning," Pozan said. "You six can spend the rest of the day at your leisure. I'd suggest getting some rest. If only the six of you are competing, you're going to need it!" and with that ominous statement, he disappeared.

"Only the six of us?" Jack said, staring down at his feet. "I don't feel so good about this." Ginta frowned, because deep down, he didn't either.

* * *

It had only been about ten minutes since Axel had gone to fight, but Roxas couldn't help but feel anxious. Sure, Axel was an amazing fighter, but no one was really sure how strong the people of MAR were. What if he had lost?

"Does it usually take this long?" Xaldin said impatiently. "You should've sent me," he said to Saix. Saix, who was calmly leaning up against one of the stone pillars, smiled.

"I have no doubt in Axel's abilities."

"At least somebody believes in me," Axel said. He had just reappeared in the center of the room. "What did I tell you, no sweat," he said nonchalantly. He strode over to Roxas.

"That was actually enjoyable," he said, smirking.

"What took you?" Roxas asked, trying to sound normal. He was really relieved that Axel was okay, and he felt a little ashamed for doubting.

"Ah, you know me. I didn't want the fun to be over too soon."

"I'm pleased to see that you were victorious," Phantom said. He hadn't moved from his seat the entire time - he had just sat there, staring off into space, the same odd smile on his face. "I would be happy to allow you to join us. I'm excited to see how the rest of you perform over the next few days."

"Days?" Zexion said, speaking up for the first time. "I was under the impression that this tournament would be short."

"The War Games are the last bit of combat that we will get to see," Phantom said. "It's like Axel said, we don't want the fun to be over too soon. The first round will begin tomorrow."

Saix stopped leaning against the pillar and walked back into the center of the room. He stretched out his hand, summoning a Corridor of Darkness.

"Than we will see you tomorrow," he said calmly.

"Wait," Phantom said. Saix turned his head to look at him.

"Yes?"

"You remember how I mentioned that I had a few conditions for allowing your organization to compete?" Saix nodded slowly. Roxas didn't like where this was going.

"Even though Axel performed admirably in the preliminaries, you have still yet to gain my complete trust. How am I to know that you'll return, or if you do return, that it isn't with more warriors in an attempt to overthrow us?" Saix didn't say anything; he just continued to stare daggers at Phantom, who was still smiling. "I'd like it if all of you would remain here for the duration of the tournament."

"That is out of the question," Saix said.

"I'm afraid that that is a bit of deal breaker for me," Phantom said. "If you want to compete, that you have to follow my rules." Saix's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment. Zexion turned to Saix and folded his arms.

"Let's go, Saix," Zexion said. "We cannot stay here-" Saix held out a hand, cutting him off.

"Fine," he said, his tone cold. "But one of us must be allowed to return to our leader. That is a deal breaker for me." Phantom feigned a few moments of thought before answering.

"It's a deal," he said, and he gestured at Peta, who stepped forward, carrying a small wooden box.

"Put these on," he said, going to each of the Nobodies in turn. In the box were numerous small silver bracelets.

"What are they," Roxas asked as he held it to his wrist. The bracelet suddenly clamped onto his arm. Roxas quickly tried to tear it off, but it was stuck.

"They are Dimension ARM, or anti-Dimension ARM to be exact," Peta said as the others put the bracelets on. "They will prevent you from teleporting away from MAR."

"I don't like the sound of that," Xigbar said, giving the bracelet a fruitless tug. "This better not interfere with my fighting."

"These ARM only prevent long distance travel," Peta explained. "They will prevent you from teleporting outside of a one mile radius from this castle, or one mile from any of the battle locales that you will be going to for the tournament. You will still be able to teleport short distances."

"So, wait, we're trapped here?" Roxas asked.

"If that's how you want to look at it," Peta said with a smile.

Roxas frowned. He didn't like the situation one bit. He stuck out his arm and tried to summon a Corridor back to the castle, but nothing happened. They really were stuck there.

"What happens if we do try to leave?" Roxas asked.

"If you do try to teleport outside of the radius, things will get a little – nasty," Peta said as he finished passing out the bracelets. "Which of you will be the one returning to your world?" Peta asked. There were only two left: Saix and Zexion.

"I will be," Saix said. Peta nodded and stepped towards Zexion.

"Actually, Saix, I think it would be best if I was the one to report back," Zexion said. The other Nobodies looked up from their bracelets at the two Nobodies. We're they already going to start fighting?

"I'm leading this mission, Zexion-"

"-and I'm reporting to The Superior," Zexion said. "Unless you'd like to explain to him why his personal agent is stuck here?" Saix frowned, his yellow eyes flashing dangerously.

"Fine," Saix said as he held out his hand for the bracelet.

"I'm glad that's been decided," Phantom said. He had been watching the argument with intense curiosity. "Well, I think it be best for you all to get your rest. Peta will show you were you will be staying for the duration of the games. See you tomorrow."

Peta led the group to the other end of the room and out the large purple doors. He led them down some more empty stone hallways.

"Where's this Chess Piece Army they were talking about back at the castle?" Axel whispered to Roxas. "This place is empty." Peta had apparently heard him.

"Preparing for the games," he said over his shoulder. He stopped in front of a wooden door and opened it, revealing a room with twelve beds and a table set with food.

"Phantom would prefer it if, at least for the time being, you were to stay in your quarters. Sleep well," he said, before closing the door. Roxas heard the click of a lock as they were shut in.

"Well, this didn't go as well as planned," Xigbar said. "Who'd of thought that we'd ever be prisoners?"

"I'm going to report to Xemnas," Zexion said, procuring a corridor. "See you tomorrow," he said, entering the portal.

"Greeaat," Demyx said as he flopped onto his bed. "I'm bored already."

"At least I brought a game," Luxord said as he shuffled a deck of cards. "Anyone want to be dealt in?"

"Not tonight," Saix said as he lay onto his bed. "Get some sleep. I want everyone ready to fight."

"But it isn't even dark yet," Demyx said, stretching out his hand. "There's no way I could sleep." A ball of water materialized in his palm, eventually forming itself into a large Sitar.

"Fine," Saix said as he lay onto his bed. "But everyone is to be in bed as soon as it's dark."

"Poker, anyone?" Luxord said.

"Sure, deal me in," Xigbar said.

"I'll join too," Xaldin said, and the group retreated to a corner for their game. Roxas approached Axel at the food table.

"Hey," Axel said, tossing him an apple. "It isn't ice cream, but it'll do, right?" Roxas nodded. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and watching the poker match. The game was going on well enough until Xaldin caught Xigbar hiding aces in his sleeves. Luxord was happily discussing odds on the fight with Axel before Saix broke up them up.

"Demyx, put the fire out," he said. "Get to bed, now." The group reluctantly crawled into bed. Roxas heard a splash as the fire went out, plunging the room into darkness. He closed his eyes, surprised that he had enjoyed himself so much that night, even without ice cream.


	3. Chapter 3

__

Hey everyone,

_Sorry that this update is late, it's way past due. Hopefully chapter 4 won't take nearly as long. Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

"Phantom would prefer it if, at least for the time being, you were to stay in your quarters. Sleep well," Peta said as he shut the door. He pulled out a small silver charm from his pocket and held it up to the handle.

"Seal," he said, and the lock clicked. Nobody would be able to leave the room now. He turned around and headed back to the throne room. He didn't like leaving the newcomers alone in the castle, even if they were locked in their room. The simple fact was that he didn't trust them.

Peta had no idea why Phantom was allowing the Nobodies to compete in the War Games, but who was he do argue? Phantom was their leader - he could do as he wished. But Peta knew that he didn't just do things on a whim - there had to be some reason that Phantom wanted them to fight.

By this time Peta had made it back to the throne room and had taken his place besides Phantom, who hadn't even left his seat.

"What seems to be the problem, Peta?" Phantom asked, pulling Peta from his thoughts. Peta turned and bent into a respectful bow.

"Nothing of any importance," Peta said. Phantom smiled.

"You're a terrible liar, Peta. And you can do away with all of the formality. Please, share your thoughts." Peta thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. After a few moments of contemplation he said, "Sir, do you think it wise to trust them? The Nobodies, I mean." Phantom remained silent, so Peta continued. "We don't even know who they are or why they're here. I doubt that they came to participate in the War Games."

Phantom chuckled.

"That's why you're my second-in-command, Peta. I doubt that any of the other Knights would have thought about that. Trust that I have given this a great deal of thought - but I suppose you'd like me to explain?"

Peta nodded. Phantom shifted, resting his cheek on his hand.

"A few days ago I received reports from Gheilerul Port of a mysterious man who was wearing a black hooded coat. Our troops went after him, but then he simply vanished. A few minutes later Rapunzel showed up, reporting of another citing of a black coated man in Regenfield Castle. After that he was seen in Elto Town, then Vestry, all within a few minutes of each other. I couldn't tell you how intrigued I was. Of course my curiosity only grew once I had heard that he had been cornered."

"Who was he? A Cross Guard?" Peta asked. He was curious, but slightly agitated that he hadn't heard of this situation until now - he was the Chess Piece's chief strategist after all.

"I wasn't sure, but I was skeptical that he was a Cross Guard, as he made no attempt to aid them or any of the towns' citizens. It was almost as though he was there to observe," he added thoughtfully.

"You mentioned that some of our men had cornered him," Peta said, eager to hear more of the story.

"Eventually some of our Pawns and a Bishop forced him into battle. At this point he procured a vicious wind that only our Bishop could withstand; after this initial attack the stranger summoned two lances to do battle with our Bishop. Our Bishop lost - quite quickly, in fact. After this confrontation I put the rest of our troops on high alert. Almost immediately I received new information."

"The man was seen again? Where?"

"No, it seems as though he had permanently left after his battle, but this wasn't the first confrontation that we've had with men in black coats. Halloween had been questioning his men on whether they'd seen anything odd – you know how persuasive he is – and it seems that the day before some Pawns station in Acalupa Port fought two other hooded men. Only one of them fought, but he procured two weapons and easily defeated our men."

"I'm guessing that the three intruders where Nobodies?" Peta asked. Phantom nodded.

"Correct. A few days after the incident with the wind conjuror I was visited by another one of these individuals. You were off in Luberia at the time, and while you were gone a portal opened up in the middle of this room and out stepped one of the hooded men that I had heard so much about. I was intrigued. He introduced himself as Saix, and he offered his assistance in our war efforts."

"Why?" Peta asked, his eyes narrowed. This story wasn't doing much to diminish his worries. "What did he stand to gain?"

"All he asked for was a share of the world of MAR," Phantom said. "Besides that, he said that the _thrill_ – and he did put an almost sarcastic emphasis on that word – of battle would be payment enough. I wasn't greedy, so I agreed."

Peta was shocked. None of this was answering why Phantom would agree to let warriors he had never heard of fight for the Chess Pieces. These unknown warriors have proven their strength – the wind conjuror was Bishop level, at least - yet Phantom saw no danger in allowing them into the castle? Has he not had enough experience with warriors from other worlds? No…Phantom enjoyed twists, but he wasn't reckless. Peta shook his head. There had to be another reason.

"But that wasn't the only reason you agreed to let them fight," Peta said.

"You do know me too well, Peta," Phantom said, laughing. "You're right, of course. These hooded men – Nobodies, as they called themselves – had such intriguing power. In all of the reports I'd heard, no one had ever seen them use an ARM. Imagine this power, Peta. Not only could they summon weapons and elements from nothing, but they could travel to places they've never even been at will. Imagine what use the Chess Pieces would have for this power," he said, and for a moment Peta could sense a change come over Phantom. "We would be unstoppable."

"So that is why you let them fight – to study them," Peta said. He was relieved to finally understand Phantom's plan, but one more thing was bothering him. "If you only wish to discover the source of their power, why keep them trapped here?" For the first time during the story, Phantom turned to look at him.

"Peta, how are we supposed to study them if they are not here?"

Peta nodded in agreement, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else that Phantom wasn't telling him.

* * *

After the day's preliminary rounds Ginta and the rest of Team MAR were led into Regenfield Castle, where they had dinner in the main hall. They spent most of the meal conversing about the success of their preliminary matches. After their meal the princess of Regenfield herself arrived to escort them to their room.

"You may all rest here," she said as the team settled in. The room was very large, with a green tiled floor, golden stone walls, and a large window looking out onto the grounds. There were at least eight or so beds, a couch and a round table. The room itself was very bright and inviting. Ginta, however, was more reserved. He was glad that everyone had won their matches, but he still couldn't help but wonder who the black coated figure was.

"What's wrong, Ginta?" Snow asked. "You hardly talked at all during dinner. Is something bothering you?"

Ginta smiled and scratched his head. "Is it that obvious?"

"Are you kidding me, Ginta?" Nanashi said from his bed. "We can hardly get you to shut up for five minutes, let alone not talk for an entire meal."

"It's just that new guy, the one with the black coat. Who was he?" Ginta asked, even though he knew that nobody could answer.

"Should it really matter?" Nanashi said. "They're working for the Chess Pieces, so they're against us. Easy as that."

"But this guy was able to beat Gaira," Jack said. "That means he's strong, right?"

"Yes, it does," Alviss said. He had been leaning quietly against the wall this whole time, and Ginta got the impression that he too had been giving this a great deal of thought. "Gaira was one of the heroes of the last war. It would take someone of at least Bishop or Knight level to defeat him."

"But that doesn't answer my question," Ginta said. "Isn't it odd for some random guy to just show up and fight in the War Games?"

"That's the thing Ginta – we don't know," Ed said as he took a seat on the couch. "Even Pozan was surprised when he showed up."

"What I want to know is if he's the only one," Dorothy said thoughtfully. "One newcomer wouldn't be out of the ordinary – the Chess Pieces are always recruiting. But if there are more of these people…" The group got quiet as they tried to imagine what would happen if an army of black coated warriors attacked MAR.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Belle, a tiny fairy that hung out with Alviss, squeaked. "Alviss can take care of them!"

"No, Belle," Alviss said. She looked shocked. "Gaira might have made light of the situation before, but trust me, that guy in the coat has to be strong, stronger than any of us."

Once again the group was silent.

"Ah, don't act so blue, Alviss!" Ginta said, shocking everyone with his enthusiasm. "I'm sure that we'll be able to beat them. We have to, right?"

"You seem so sure of yourself," Alviss said. "But I'm not convinced of your strength." He walked forward and stared at Ginta. "I need you to make me believe." Ginta stared back with pure determination. He didn't care if he had to fight the Chess Pieces or those guys in the black coats – he would win, no matter what.

* * *

It was morning, and Roxas was being shaken awake.

"Time to get up," Axel said. "We've got to get ready for the tournament."

Roxas sat up and rubbed his eyes. He had been having a good dream – he was on an island, getting ready to sail on a raft – but that was all he could remember. He sighed and threw off his blankets.

"It's morning already?" he said as he hauled himself to his feet.

"Yup, and we have to hurry. Saix and Zexion are already meeting with Phantom. Let's grab a snack real quick; you don't want to fight on an empty stomach, right?" Roxas nodded as he headed over to the table, where a fresh selection of food had been set out during the night. Roxas grabbed an apple and chatted with Axel as they watched a frustrated Xaldin flip Demyx out of bed. Demyx landed on his back with a thud. He groaned loudly, but his eyes remained firmly shut.

"That's heads," Luxord said, holding out his hand. "Pay up."

"He couldn't have landed on his stomach," Xigbar said, tossing a few coins into his hand.

Their breakfast didn't last long though; soon enough Saix and Zexion walked into the room.

"Bad news," Saix said, his voice stone cold. "Phantom will not allow us to fight in the first round of the tournament."

"What?" Axel said. "That's weird, right?"

Zexion nodded.

"He says that he doesn't want to waste our talents so early. On the bright side, you are all now free to roam the castle. I guess he wants to prevent us from getting cabin fever. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to complete - I'm still of some use to the Organization. See you tomorrow for the second round." He then opened up a portal and walked in.

"I want all of you to stay focused," Saix said. "Make sure that you are prepared for your upcoming matches. This is not a vacation," he said before walking from the room.

"What's a vacation?" Roxas asked Axel. He shrugged and said, "Well, if we don't have to be anywhere, I'm going back to sleep." He got back into bed and closed his eyes.

"Oh, and someone wake Demyx up, I think he's fallen back asleep."

Roxas rolled his eyes, decided that Demyx was probably comfortable enough, and left to explore the rest of the castle.

Roxas didn't think it was possible for a castle to be more confusing than The Castle That Never Was, but it had only taken fifteen minutes of wandering through the Chess Pieces' castle before he was completely lost. He had been trying to go outside for some fresh air, but he couldn't seem to find the front door. Everything in this castle looked the same – long hallways lined with wooden doors that always ended with a spiral staircase that led to another long hallway lined with doors.

"How does anybody find their way around?" Roxas said to himself as he opened another door. It led to the first unique room he'd seen all day – it was a high ceilinged cavernous room, similar to Phantom's throne room. It appeared to be empty except for two sets of tall purple doors on opposite walls.

"I guess I should try the purple doors?" he said as he grabbed one of gold door handles. He pulled, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Fantastic," he muttered as he gave the door a kick. "First new thing I've found and it's locked. I should just head back to the room."

"Do you need some help?" a friendly voice asked. Roxas spun around. A man had just walked through the door that he had come in through. He looked to be about Demyx's age. He wore a light blue shirt and white pants, and he had what looked like a bunch of white petals on his right shoulder.

"Oh, um, yeah," Roxas said awkwardly. He wasn't expecting running into anyone. He realized how stupid that was – this was the Chess Pieces' headquarters. He was surprised that he hadn't run into someone already. "I'm a little lost," he said.

"Yes this castle can be a bit confusing," the man said. "I'm Rolan, by the way," he said, extending his hand.

"Um…I'm Roxas," he said, shaking it. Rolan's eyes widened.

"You're one of the newcomers?" he said, smiling. "A Nobody, correct?" Roxas nodded.

"You'd be a Chess Piece, than?" he said, a little unsure. From all he'd heard about the Chess Pieces from Xaldin, he had a hard time believing that this cheerful teenager could be one of them.

"Oh, yes, I am," Rolan said happily. "So I guess that would make us allies?"

"I guess so," Roxas said. The two looked at each other awkwardly before Roxas decided to break the silence. "Do you know how to get outside? I've been trying all morning-"

"Oh, right!" Rolan said laughing. If you go back through the wooden door over there, head to the end of the hall, down the stairs, and open the first door to the left. After that, it's the big door on your right. Make sure you watch your step though! Well, I better get going," he said with a friendly wave. "I'm looking forward to your matches. They should be a lot of fun to watch. Bye now!" he said, and headed out of the room.

"Well… that was odd," Roxas said, heading back out into the passage. 'At least I can get outside now." He followed Rolan's instructions to get outside. He wrenched open the large door.

"Finally!" he said as he felt a blast of cool air. Roxas walked out and found a nice soft spot on the grass where he lay down. He definitely liked the outside of the castle better than the dark and gloomy interior. Roxas closed his eyes and relaxed, listening to the sounds around him. This world was so full of life; there was grass all the way out to cloud lined horizon; there were birds singing; there was a nice cool breeze. MAR was everything that The World That Never Was wasn't. Even the people seemed nice. Roxas remembered what Rolan had told him.

"Watch my step?" Roxas muttered. That was an odd thing to say. He got to his feet and started to walk through the grass. "What was he talking….uh-oh!" he shouted as he jumped back. The grass beneath his feet had suddenly ended at the clouds.

"The castle is…floating?" he said peering cautiously over the edge. He couldn't see very well because of the clouds, but he could make out the forest and farm lands far below him. "We must be a thousand feet up," he said in amazement. Something caught his eyes. Sticking out among the mass of green below was what was unmistakably a stone castle.

"I wonder if that's where we're fighting?" Roxas said as he moved away from the edge – he was getting a little vertigo. "Huh, I've got to tell Axel," he said. He tried to remember how to get back to the room before remembering that he could still use a Corridor of Darkness for short distance travel. He stretched out his hand and opened a portal back to the room.

* * *

"What?" Saix said, his voice cold. "Surely I misheard you." It was the day of the second round, and the eight Nobodies had gathered back in Phantom's throne room.

"No, you heard me correct, Saix," Phantom said, smiling. "Today will be a Chess Piece only round." Saix's eyes flashed.

"Let me get this straight – you've forced us to remain here for two whole days and you won't even allow us to fight?" Saix's eyes narrowed. "Do not mistake my patience for weakness, Phantom. I feel as though you are not taking our Organization seriously. Believe me, that is a big mistake," he growled. Phantom didn't seem intimated by Saix's threat. He cocked his head to one side, his smile still on his face.

"The reason that I am postponing your participation in the games is _because _I take you so seriously. These first few rounds aren't worthy of you're time. Why don't you observe today's matches and see for yourself? You should find them very interesting." Saix didn't say anything. He spun around and began to walk out of the room.

"All of you be prepared. We _will_ be fighting tomorrow." The large purple doors slammed shut as he exited. Phantom didn't say anything.

"If any of you wish to remain, you may observe today's rounds in here," Peta said.

"I have work to do," Zexion said before disappearing in a Corridor of Darkness.

"We should all stay," Xaldin said. "It would benefit us to see how our opponents do battle. That means you, Demyx."

Demyx, who had been sneaking towards the door, groaned loudly.

"You don't have to remain if you don't want to," Phantom said, but Demyx shuffled back over to the group anyway. Xaldin was a founding member of the Organization, so he technically outranked everyone but Xigbar.

"So how are we going to watch?" Axel said. "I'm guessing you have a special ARM for that?"

Peta nodded and held out his hand. A large silver orb suddenly appeared in the center of the room. Roxas peered into the orb. He seemed to be looking down on a desert; there was an endless expanse of sand that stretched out to the horizon, the landscape filled with endless sand dunes. Gathered below were two groups of people, each side having three people. The first group was made up of a masked figure wrapped in a wispy blue cloak, a young blonde girl in a light green dress with a large red case strapped to her back, and another masked man who had oddly swirled blue hair and was wearing a yellow and purple jumpsuit. The other group looked even odder than the first. It was made up of a tall blonde man wearing a red shirt and white pants, a young blue haired girl wearing a pink sweatshirt and red shorts, and a pink haired woman wearing a dark blue dress.

"These are the fighters?" Roxas whispered to Axel. "They don't look like much, do they?" Axel was staring intently at the sphere, his brow furrowed.

"Looks can be deceiving," he said without looking away. Roxas wondered why Axel was suddenly so serious - he didn't have a chance to ask him though.

"It just occurred to me that you haven't been informed on the rules yet, have you?" Phantom said. The Nobodies shook their heads. Once again, Peta stepped forward.

"The rules are simple. The match starts off by the roll of the dice. The first die determines the location of the battle; the second determines how many fighters can participate on each team. After the dice is cast each group determines who will be fighting, as well as a permanent team captain. After this there are a series of one on one battles. Whichever team wins the most battles is considered the victor. If you lose a match, you cannot compete again unless your team is ultimately victorious. If your team loses, only those that won their individual battles may compete later on in the tournament. If the team captain is defeated that team automatically loses."

"How was that simple?" Demyx asked as he rubbed his head. "Did anyone else get that?"

"I'm afraid that that's the best explanation we can offer at the moment," Phantom said. "Unfortunately, Peta and I have other business to attend to. Enjoy the matches," he said as he walked out of the room. Peta followed him.

"I think I want a better seat," Xigbar said, teleporting over the orb and hanging upside-down in midair.

"I'm still confused," Demyx said hopelessly.

"I'll explain it later," Axel said. "It looks like the first round is starting." Two participants had stepped into the middle of the desert– the man with the yellow and purple suit, and the young girl in the pink.

"Ten Munny on the girl," Luxord said. "Any takers?"

"I'll take that bet," Axel said, suddenly back to his normal self. "To be honest though, I should be giving you odds Luxord. That girl down there looks younger than Roxas."

"This'll just keep things interesting," Luxord said with a grin.

Roxas brought his attention back to the sphere, where a small purple imp had lifted his arm.

"First match, Chess Piece Fugi vs. Snow of Team MAR! Begin!" he said, swinging his arm down.

Fugi -the man in the yellow and purple - started first. He raised up his left arm, a small bracelet ARM lighting up.

"I won't hold back," he said as a large gust of wind surrounded him.

"I think I'm going to like this fight," Xaldin said as he observed the wind wielder. "Let's see his skill."

Fugi wasted no time in attacking.

"Wind Cutter!" he said as two blades of wind shot out from him. Snow easily dodged them both. Fugi relentlessly sent out more of his Wind Cutters, forcing Snow to leap into the air.

"Nature ARM, Iced Earth!" She shouted, a barrage of ice firing from her hand.

"Tornado!" Fugi shouted, and a small tornado appeared before him, blocking the ice. Snow fired another ice barrage, but Fugi summoned another tornado to block it.

"It's hopeless, Princess," Fugi said. "Why don't you just give up? I might not kill you then."

"I'm not giving up," Snow said, sending out another barrage. This time, Fugi wasn't fast enough – the ice barrage pummeled him, causing him to flinch. Snow took the advantage and launched a furious series of punches which Fugi could only barely dodge.

"Um, is it too late for me to change my bet?" Axel asked. Luxord shook his head.

"All bet's are final. That girl may look harmless, but that just means she has a great poker face."

The fight below, however, had begun to turn against Snow. Fugi had finally been able to get away from Snow's punches, and though he looked fatigued, Roxas could tell that this fight wasn't over.

"Not bad, Princess," Fugi said. "I guess I shouldn't have held back for this long." He raised up his arms and was instantly engulfed in a large tornado. "Wind Cutter!" he shouted, and two more Wind Cutters shot out, landing mere feet in front of Snow and kicking up a large wall of sand. Fugi leapt through the sand, punching Snow hard in the stomach and sending her flying. It looked like she was out for the count.

"Yuki-chan!' she shouted, and a large snowman appeared out of thin air, catching her softly in his outstretched hand. It lowered her to the ground and she leapt out, perfectly unharmed.

"That's it!" Fugi shouted. "I'm going to end this! Tornado quatro!" Four large tornados roared to life around him before they each rushed at Snow.

"That's going to kill her!" Roxas shouted, a worried look on his face. He didn't expect children to be fighting - let alone dying. The four tornados converged on her, concealing her from sight. Roxas held his breath as he waited for the aftermath.

"What!' Both Fugi and Roxas shouted, once the tornados had disappeared. Standing directly where Snow used to be were four giant snowmen that had huddled around her. The four snowmen disappeared, revealing a perfectly unharmed Snow. She ran forward and shouted, "Once more, Yuki-chan!" Another snowman appeared high above the desert, falling straight for Fugi. It impacted, crushing him beneath. The purple imp raised up his arm.

"Snow of Team MAR is the winner!" he shouted.

"I win, Axel," Luxord said. "How about we go again on the next round? Double or nothing?"

"Sure," Axel said. "I'm pretty impressed, actually, though I doubt she'd do as well against me though. What did you think of that Chess Piece, Xaldin?"

Xaldin folded his arms.

"That wind-user was mediocre at best," he said. "He doesn't understand the subtleties of the wind."

"All I know…" Demyx said. "…is that this whole trip was a bad idea. Why did Saix have to pick me?"

"Quiet," Xaldin said. "The next match is starting."

Roxas once again peered into the orb. Standing in the middle of the desert was the young blonde girl and the blonde man dressed in red.

"I'll pick the girl this time," Axel said.

"Sound's good to me," Luxord said happily.

"Round two, Chess Piece Loco versus Nanashi of Luberia!" the imp said. "Begin!" The two opponents stood quietly, each one waiting for the other to act.

"Ladies first, Loco," Nanashi said. Roxas was a little apprehensive. She looked even younger than Snow. What was with all of these children fighting in life or death matches?

"Do not treat me like a child," Loco said, dropping her case to the sand. "That displeases me greatly." She fished around her case for a moment before finally selecting a necklace ARM. "Neg-Zero. With this, you stay," she said calmly, and the ARM lit up, but besides that, nothing else happened.

"Did that even do anything?" Roxas asked. Axel nodded.

"Look at Nanashi," he said, his eyes narrowed. Roxas looked over at him. He appeared unharmed, except that he had suddenly gone rigid – almost as though he were paralyzed.

"That ARM made it so he couldn't move," Roxas said. "How can he fight?"

"Watch," Axel said. The young girl had lifted up her case.

"Behold, my Straw Doll," she said, and a large doll appeared out of her case. She positioned it upright in the sand, and then returned back to her case. "Spike and Hammer," she said, pulling out a set of large silver spikes and a hammer. She calmly walked over to the straw doll and proceeded to hammer one of the spikes in. Nanashi grimaced. She hammered another one in. Nanashi was visibly in extreme pain, but he was still rooted to the spot where he stood.

"Amazing," Loco said, unfazed at Nanashi's pain. "Most people would have died from shock by now." Roxas was disgusted.

"She's torturing him," he whispered. "That's horrible."

"I guess that's what we have to be aware of," Axel said grimly. "This isn't just a tournament – it's a war."

"She doesn't look bothered at all," Roxas said. "It's almost like-"

"She doesn't have emotions?" Axel said. "Remind you of anyone?"

Loco calmly hammered in a third spike. By this time Nanashi's teammates looked quite worried.

"Just give up, Nanashi!" the pink hair girl shouted. "I'll win my battle, so we'll still win the round! This is pointless!"

"I'll give up, if Dorothy gives me a kiss," he said. Roxas was shocked. Why would he be thinking about that as he was getting tortured?

"Like hell!" she shouted back.

"I guess I'll keep fighting then," Nanashi said confidently. Slowly, very slowly, he began to move; first his arms…then his head…then his legs. Roxas couldn't believe it – he was fighting against the curse…and winning. Loco had begun to panic.

"Fourth spike!" she said, hammering another one in. Nanashi had begun to limp towards her.

"Fifth spike!" she shouted, hammering in the final spike. Nanashi was still on his feet. He calmly raised up his hand.

"Electric Eye!" he shouted. A stream of lightning bolts shot forward, connecting – not with Loco – but with her Straw Doll. The doll burst into flames.

"I lost again!" Axel shouted. "This has to be rigged!"

"Wait, Axel," Roxas said, pointing down at Nanashi. "Look." Nanashi teetered on his feet for a moment before crashing into the sand from exhaustion. The purple imp raised his hand.

"The winner of the second match is The Chess Piece, Loco!"

"I guess this round goes to you, Axel," Luxord said, a smile on his face despite the fact that he lost. "How about one more bet for the third round? Winner takes all?"

"Fine," Axel said. "I'll go with the girl again."

"That's fair," Luxord said, peering into the orb. The pink haired girl in the blue dress and the man wrapped in the wispy cloak had stepped into the center. "This fight could go either way," he said. The purple imp once again raised his arm.

"Second battle, final match: Chess Piece Maira versus Team MAR's Dorothy. Begin!"

The girl started first.

"Ring Armor!" she shouted, and one of her many rings lit up and transformed into a five foot tall animate suit of armor. The armor charged at the Chess Piece - Maira - who seemed unimpressed.

"Guardian ARM, Vaqua!" he shouted, and the suit of armor froze. A semi-transparent blue gel had appeared at its feet. It rose up around its body until the armor was completely engulfed by it.

"Vaqua is unique," Maira said as the armor began to crumble away. "It can dissolve anything that it can ingest, whether it be metal or flesh!" After a few more seconds the armor had completely dissolved. Vaqua shifted its gaze towards Dorothy, its single bloodshot eye locked onto her.

"That would make a good addition to my collection," Dorothy said. "I want it."

"You'll never get the chance," Maira said. "It's time for you to become the first casualty of the War Games!" Maira shouted, and Vaqua lunged.

"Guardian Arm, Birikin!"

Roxas gasped as a huge stone golem appeared between Dorothy and Vaqua. Vaqua froze, unable to envelope something that large. Birikin punched, its huge fist leaving a large hole in Vaqua. Roxas watched in amazement as Vaqua repaired itself, the hole filling in. Birikin tried to stomp on it, but Vaqua simply flowed out from underneath its foot.

"Vaqua is a fluid," Maira explained. "Physical attacks cannot harm it."

Birikin tried a body slam next, and for a moment Roxas thought it had worked – only a few puddles of Vaqua remained. But, just as it had done before, Vaqua flowed back together and reappeared unharmed.

"As you can see, Vaqua is the ultimate Guardian ARM," Maira said confidently. "It can not be defeated. You are only prolonging the inevitable."

"And that would be?" Dorothy said, smiling.

"Your death of course."

Dorothy stretched out her hand. "Birikin, come back." The giant stone golem shone with light as it turned back into a bracelet.

"So, you're giving up?" Maira said. "At least this battle can finally come to an end." Dorothy held her hand up.

"Dimension ARM, Zipper," she said, and one of the rings shown with light as it transformed into a large zipper that hung in the air besides her. The zipper slowly unzipped, revealing a portal. She stuck her hand in and began to rummage around.

"That's an interesting use of space," Xigbar said as he stared down at the orb. "I wonder what she's looking for."

"Now where is it?" Dorothy said as she felt around. "Oh, here it is." She pulled her arm out of the portal, a long silver pendant in her hand. Maira began to laugh.

"This is pointless. Any ARM you have will be useless. Vaqua, finish her!" he said, pointing towards Dorothy. Vaqua lunged forward, its unblinking eye fixed upon her.

"Guardian ARM, Rain Dog," she said. The pendant shown with light as a small section of sky around her shattered, revealing another portal. Vaqua cautiously examined the portal before it was dragged inside.

"What!" Maira shouted. Roxas could hear a sickening crunch come from the portal. A few moments later the shattered remnants of the ARM were spat out.

"That's…impossible," Maira said, staring with horror at the broken remains of his ARM. "What ARM is that?"

"It's my Guardian, Toto," Dorothy said. "Come on out." A huge paw slowly emerged from the portal, followed shortly by the rest of the beast. Toto was a huge silver dog; it had three long tails and yellow glaring eyes. But what stood out most were the many razor sharp teeth that lined its gigantic maw.

"Toto's my favorite Guardian," Dorothy said. "He'll eat anything. Did you like that snack, Toto?" she said as she pat the huge dog.

"It was too slimy," it growled. "I didn't like it much."

"Except…you weren't supposed to break it!" Dorothy said, swatting at him. "Bad dog!"

"That girls got to be pretty brave if she's reprimanding that thing," Roxas said. The dog had begun to slowly walk towards Maira.

"No wait! I give up!" he said as he backed away. "Please! I don't have any other ARM!" The purple imp seemed eager to end the match.

"The winner is-"

"Wait," Dorothy said. She had suddenly become serious. "I'm not finished with him yet." Maira stumble back in terror as Toto slowly approached him. "You seemed so eager to let Vaqua devour others. It's time that you got a taste of your own medicine. I'm afraid that I'm not as merciful as the rest of Team MAR."

"No, please!" Maira pleaded, falling to his knees. "Just let me live!"

"I doubt that you showed any mercy to the people that you had Vaqua kill," Dorothy said bitterly. By now Toto was staring down at Maira, who was still pleading for his life.

"No! Somebody help me!"

Dorothy smiled.

"Toto, eat up." Toto opened up his maw, and despite Maira's terrified screams, consumed him. The whole room was silent as the imp declared Dorothy the winner.

"I can't believe it ate him," Roxas said. "She should have let him surrender."

Axel was still staring down at the desert, his eyes narrowed.

"I guess this means that even the good guys are playing for keeps. Don't hold back, Roxas. I don't want you ending up like Maira." Roxas nodded. Axel suddenly smiled. "You know what this means, right?"

"No?"

"It means that Luxord owes me twenty Munny." Luxord nodded and tossed over the coins.

"Twenty Munny is a small price to pay for a show like that," Luxord said.

Xigbar teleported down from his vantage point.

"I don't know about you guys, but that last fight made me hungry. It's about time for lunch," he said before teleporting away.

"How can he be thinking about food after that?" Roxas asked. "Is he insane?"

"A little," Axel said. "At least those fights weren't boring. Right, Demyx?" They both turned around to look at Demyx. Demyx had backed up against the wall, a look of utmost horror on his face.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Axel asked.

Demyx slowly stepped forward.

"I…hate…dogs…" he stammered. Roxas couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said, patting him on the back. "What are the chances that you're going to be fighting her?"

Demyx slowly nodded. He muttered something about getting food with Xigbar before he opened up a portal and left.

"Well, Roxas, this sure beats heart gathering, right?" Axel said. Roxas nodded, and the two left to explore the rest of the castle.

* * *

_I hope everyone enjoyed this update. Stay tuned for the next chapter - then first real Organization battle is coming up!_

_Okay everyone, so I've decided to post this here instead of on my Profile, since I think more people will read this. So, quite obviously I haven't updated in a very very long time, and for that I'm sorry. I'm still working hard on Chapter Four, and I've actually gotten a lot done. In fact, if I write like I have tonight, it should be done in a couple more days. So, here it is, a promise to you: At the time of this update it is Thursday, July 29, 2010. I'll have Chapter Four up in a max of one week. Until then, thanks for all of your reviews, and I hope that you'll enjoy my next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, here we go everyone, Chapter 4. I'm sorry it took such an extremely long while, I guess I was suffering from a bit of the Nirvana Fallacy. Anyway, I really hope that you enjoy this update, and stay tuned for Chapter 5!_

* * *

Roxas woke on the third day slightly anxious. This was supposedly the day that they would be allowed to compete, but he had some doubts that Phantom would keep his word. He had to admit that he was worried. It wasn't the impending matches – he had fought strong enemies before. No, he was worried what Saix would do if they were delayed another day. He was always calm and collected, but even he had to have limits.

"Let's hope that everything goes well," Axel said once Roxas had finally been able to shake himself awake. "If I know Saix, he's reaching the end of his rope."

Saix, who didn't appear nearly as tense as the others, called the group towards the front of the room.

"There's something we need to discuss before the battles," Saix said once everyone had assembled around him. "Our purpose here is to clear this world of powerful warriors. None of you are to hold back in your matches…make sure that you kill your opponent."

"Kill?" Roxas asked, shocked. "But…"

"As you clearly saw yesterday, your opponents will not hesitate to end you," Saix said sternly. "I don't want you to show them any mercy. Do not forget what our final goal is." He left the room, the others following.

"We have to kill them?" Roxas said, staring at the ground. Would he be able to do it? He'd defeated Heartless before, but never a complete being. When the time came, could he kill someone?

Roxas felt and odd sensation in his stomach – like there was a large rock rolling uncomfortably inside it. What was this emotion he was feeling? Roxas shook his head. Axel had reminded him many times that he - along with the rest of Organization XIII - were Nobodies, and were thus incapable of feeling emotions. Perhaps this was a memory coming back? Roxas' thoughts were cut short as Axel stuck his head back in the room.

"You coming?" Axel said. "We have to keep up with the group, because I don't know about you but I still can't find my way around here." Roxas nodded slowly but didn't answer as he followed Axel to Phantom's throne room.

Phantom was reclining in his throne as usual with Peta standing silently besides him.

"Let's get this started," Saix said before Phantom could speak. "We are all prepared for battle."

Phantom didn't answer right away, leaving the group in an icy silence. Was he going to prevent them from fighting again?

"I just have a few things to discuss first," Phantom said, much to Roxas' relief. "First, while the people you will be competing against are our enemies, a few of them are special. In your matches I expect you to win, but both Ginta and Princess Snow must remain alive, understood?" Phantom obviously took their silence for agreement, so he continued. "Also, many of my men are quite as eager to fight as you are, and as they were here first I have to limit you, at least for today, to only one combatant. I'm sure that you understand."

Once again none of the Nobodies spoke. Roxas scanned the others' expressions. Demyx seemed happy that there was a good chance that he wouldn't have to fight; both Xigbar and Luxord looked slightly disappointed. Xaldin looked annoyed, while Zexion's eyes were narrowed in displeasure. Axel once again was gazing intently at Phantom, almost as though he was trying to read his thoughts. Saix was the only one that looked unchanged.

"We had agreed-" he started, but Phantom cut him off.

"I agreed that all of you would get to fight, in due time, that is. Yesterday you did demand that you all be allowed to fight today, but I'm afraid that isn't possible. This is my castle, after all."

Saix didn't respond. Roxas wasn't sure if Saix was angry or not - he simply stood there, his eyes locked with Phantom's.

"Well, at least it's an improvement, right Saix?" Axel said cheerfully. Saix didn't say anything, but he seemed to agree since he finally broke his gaze with Phantom to turn around and address the group.

"Which one of you will be first?"

* * *

Ginta yawned loudly as he strode into the courtyard. He paused and stretched out his arm, which was still sore from all of Gaira's training. Both he and Jack had spent the past day in the Training Gate, where Gaira relentlessly put them through their paces for what felt to them to be like sixty days (because of the Training Gate's time difference). Even though his muscles were still aching, Ginta was glad that he had trained so hard. Gaira really new his stuff, and Ginta was confident that now he'd be a fair match for anyone that the Chess Pieces could throw at him.

By now Ginta was trying to make his way across the courtyard, which was so packed with people that he could barely see the rest of Team MAR on the other side. It didn't help that everyone was very excited for him to be back. Ginta could barely move two feet without having someone slap him on the back or grab his hand.

"Glad that you're back, Ginta!"

"Those Chess Pieces don't know what they're in for!"

"The Boss' son - I can't believe it. You definitely have his talent!"

Ginta felt his stomach give a weird lurch. He still wasn't used to the idea, although he had been suspecting it for some time now. But last night Alviss confirmed it – his father had been the Boss, the last hero of MAR. It had been quite some time since he had last seen his father, but Ginta always held on to some hope that he'd eventually come home. The realization that his father was the Boss was bittersweet, since he had been killed by Phantom in the last War Games. Unlike MAR this was one dream that wasn't going to come true.

"Are you okay, Ginta?" Snow asked. Ginta had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he had successfully made it through the crowd over to the rest of the team.

"Oh, yeah, I'm great Snow!" he said cheerfully, trying to act normal. She didn't look convinced, so he quickly changed the subject. "You ready to fight today?"

"I'm ready!" she said excitedly. "It's time for round two!"

From what Ginta had heard from Nanashi the previous night, Snow performed outstandingly in her battle the other day against the Rook Fugi. Ginta had to admit that he was impressed. He had always liked Snow, but he hadn't ever thought of her as being one of the stronger fighters on Team MAR. But now he had to admit that he hadn't given her enough credit.

Soon enough the purple imp, Pozan stepped into the square. Much of the conversation immediately died down.

"Today's matches will take place in the Volcano Field," he announced. "Each team will be allowed five participants. Which five from Team MAR is going to fight?"

Ginta, Snow and Jack all immediately raised their hands.

"That's three," Pozan said. Alviss calmly raised his arm. "There's four. You still need one more participant," he said.

"I think I'm going to sit today out, Ginta," Dorothy said, winking. "You'll just have to wait to see me until after the match."

"You can count me out too, Ginta," Nanashi said happily as he walked away with a girl hanging off each arm. "Things are much more interesting here."

"But we need one more person!" Ginta shouted as Nanashi strutted away. "Now what?"

"You see Ginta, this is why I should have been captain," Babbo said smugly. "People would be lining up to fight alongside me – it's only natural to want to aid a true gentleman like myself."

"You're not a gentleman," Ginta said as he started to grind his knuckle into Babbo's hard head. "You're a kendama toy!"

Babbo frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but his voice was drowned out by a shrill shout.

"Wait!" Belle shouted. Ginta flinched at the noise and turned around to find her hovering near him at shoulder level. "You're forgetting someone!"

"Yeah, and who's that," Ginta said as he twisted his finger in his ear. Belle smiled and flew towards the front doors of the castle. She cleared her throat and pointed towards the doors.

"Bring out the fifth fighter!"

The double doors swung open, revealing a tall, slightly aged man who was wearing green pants, a blue shirt and a long white trench coat. It took Ginta a moment to remember him, but when he did relief swept over him.

"It's good to be back," the man said with a grin.

The crowd began to murmur excitedly before erupting into loud cheers.

"It's Alan!"

"I can't believe that he's back. Alan's back everyone!"

"I was worried there. We're going to be okay!"

Alan calmly walked towards the group. "I'll be your fifth man for today."

Ginta heard a small, somewhat nervous voice say something incoherent behind him. He spun around to see who had made the noise. Pozan again tried to speak, but he seemed too frightened to do so. He looked completely terrified at Alan's arrival, and he was sweating profusely, as though he was dreading what he was going to say next.

"I'm….I'm…" he stammered.

"Out with it, imp," Alan said. Pozan jumped back a few paces before nervously responding.

"I'm afraid that that won't be allowed – you're competing in the War Games, that is. You see, you didn't compete in the preliminaries, so you are barred from the tournament."

Alan glared at Pozan for a few moments, the imp sweating bullets as he waited for his reply. Alan suddenly directed his gaze up at one of the high walls surrounding the courtyard. Gazing down at them was a very odd looking man. He was wrapped in dark blue clothing that completely concealed his body. He appeared to be chained to a large metal block that was floating behind him. But the strangest part of him was the large jack-o-lantern mask that he wore. Ginta remembered him from when he had rescued Snow. It was Halloween, a Knight.

"Are you really going to pass up an opportunity to settle our score?" Alan shouted at him. Halloween didn't move; he continued to gaze down at them as though he was deeply considering Alan's request.

"Pozan," Halloween said, the imp jumping back a few more paces. "Phantom has decided to allow Alan to compete in the games, seeing as how he participated last time. He, however, will be the only exception. That means that Gaira is still bared from competition."

Gaira stared down at the ground, shame written all over his face. Alan glanced over at him.

"You lost?" Gaira nodded slowly. Alan looked slightly shocked. "To who?"

"It was a new warrior," Gaira said. "I don't know his name."

Alan's eyes narrowed. "We can talk later. Right now I'd like it if we could start the round."

Pozan, who looked immensely relieved that he wasn't going to have to face Alan's wrath, raised his arm.

"To the Volcano Field!" he shouted, and Ginta and the rest of the competitors vanished.

Ginta, Jack and Snow all gasped. They had arrived at the Volcano Field, and just like the name implied, they were in the middle of a steaming hot plain that had many smoking volcanoes spread about.

"Wow, this is where we're fighting!" Ginta said excitedly. "This is so cool!"

Jack seemed much less enthused. "If we fall into a volcano, you can teleport us out, right?" he asked Pozan, his voice shaking.

"Most certainly not," Pozan said. "The volcanoes are just another hazard that you must avoid. Falling in to one will end in your death."

"Great," Jack squeaked.

"So where are the Chess Pieces?" Alan asked as he surveyed that battlefield. "Don't tell me that they're late."

No sooner had he spoken than a group of bright lights appeared on the other side of the battlefield signaling the arrival of the Chess Pieces. Ginta surveyed them with great interest. He recognized two of them – the girl with the light blue hair and Ball Hammer ARM was Pano, the girl that defeated Jack in the first round, while the teenager wearing the light blue shirt and white pants was the Knight Rolan, whom he ran into the other day. The other three were new to him though. Ginta strained his eyes to try to make out their ranks.

The one with the pointy nose and large red hat was clearly a Bishop rank. He had his arms crossed and he glared at Team MAR with an air of superiority.

The second Chess Piece was squatting on top of a large boulder, and Ginta could tell that he was eager to start. He wore a sleeveless blue shirt and a white turban, and there was a red sash wrapped around his neck. His face was concealed by an ivory white mask that was grinning maliciously. Ginta could see his earring – he was a Rook.

The third and most mysterious Chess Piece was reclining on another boulder. He wore a white suit and a large purple top hat, and there was a cane clutched in his left hand. He wore a round helmet that had a small grin and two red stars for eyes. Ginta wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He hadn't moved at all since the Chess Pieces had arrived. He couldn't even tell his rank, but he didn't feel all too threatened by him – his star eyes, large red bow tie and purple hat made him look oddly clownish.

"So, who will be fighting first?" Pozan asked.

"I will," Alan grunted as he cracked his knuckles. "It's been awhile since I've been out of that dog, so it'll be nice to get out and stretch a little."

Pozan turned to address the Chess Pieces.

"Which of you will be fighting Alan?"

None of them moved. It appeared as though they were all reluctant to go up against the infamous Alan.

"I think I'll sit this one out!" Rolan said nervously. The Chess Piece that was squatting on the rock leapt down and began to walk onto the battlefield.

"You're such a pathetic excuse for a Knight, Rolan," he said arrogantly. "I'd be happy to take this old man down a notch."

"Well, good luck, Alibaba!" Rolan said.

Pozan waited for the Chess Piece to get into position before starting the match. "Third Battle, the Rook Alibaba versus Alan of the Cross Guard! Begin!"

"Guardian ARM: Genie's Lamp!" Alibaba shouted, and one of the rings on his hand shown with light before transforming into a metal oil lamp. Alan remained stationary.

"Come on, Alan, do something!" Ginta shouted.

"Use whatever ARM you want, it won't matter," Alibaba said as he began to rub the lamp. "This ARM is unstoppable."

"Whatever you say, Rook," Alan said. Alibaba was undaunted.

"Genie, appear!" he shouted, and large amounts of smoke erupted from the lamp, along with a very large and very mean looking green genie.

"Do you understand now?" Alibaba said. "I've spent all my life training with this particular ARM. While many of you pathetic Cross Guard put your trust in multiple different ARM, I have spent my time perfectly synching myself to this particular Guardian. You should just give up now."

Alan folded his arms. He looked neither frightened nor impressed.

"Why don't you shut up for a minute?" Alan said. "Your constant chatter is really getting on my nerves."

"Then allow me to end this battle. Die!" he shouted, and the genie rushed towards Alan, who had still yet to do anything at all. The genie was mere feet from Alan. It pulled back its fist; Alan's hand flashed forward. A small explosion burst from his palm. There was the sound of metal breaking, and the genie exploded. Ginta couldn't help but be impressed.

"Way to go, Alan! That was awesome!" he shouted.

"No…no…" Alibaba stammered as he stepped back. The silver lamp began to crack before it shattered in his hand. "That's impossible."

Alan began to walk towards Alibaba, who was too shocked to move. Alan punched, his fist plowing into Alibaba's cheek and sending him tumbling onto the ground.

"See, that's the problem with having only one ARM," Alan said walked towards Alibaba. "You have no trump card. No plan B."

Alibaba was beginning to get over the shock of having lost.

"You made your point," he sneered. "I admit it, I lost."

Pozan lifted up his arm, ready to call the battle. "Alan is the winn-"

"Hold it, imp," Alan snapped. He had finally reached the spot where Alibaba was. He grabbed at Alibaba's scarf and continued walking, Alibaba dragging behind him.

"Let me explain a few things to you," Alan said as he calmly walked up the nearest volcano. Ginta didn't like where this was going. Alibaba was clutching fruitlessly at his scarf.

"First of all, for all of your so called mastery over your ARM, you don't even understand the most basic of concepts. You can't just summon an ARM, especially a Guardian, and expect it to be at full power. It takes time for you to synch with it. I would have expected a Rook like you to have known that, but you were too full of yourself."

The two of them were halfway up the volcano by now, and even though Alibaba was still being dragged through the dirt he still had his cocky attitude.

"Fine, you've made your point. Will you let me go now?" He scoffed. Alan ignored him.

"Second, you're too arrogant. You never should have challenged me. This fight was over before it had even started."

Alan was nearing the lip of the volcano now. Alibaba was definitely starting to panic; he had begun to flail his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to escape Alan's grip.

"Let me go!" Alibaba shouted, his voice choked. There was a definite tinge of fear to his voice now. "Please, I'll do anything!"

Ginta seemed to be frozen in place. Was Alan just trying to scare him? Or was he actually…? Ginta glanced over at Alviss, whose face looked like it was set in stone. Ginta turned his attention over to Snow, whose eyes were shut tight.

"Don't do it," she was saying as she shook her head side to side. "Please, Ed."

Alan, who had stopped just short of the smoking crater, stretched his arm out and dangled Alibaba over the edge.

"…and third, don't ever act like you're superior to me!" He released Alibaba, whose pleas we cut short as he plummeted into the lava. Alan turned around and calmly walked back down the volcano.

"The…winner…" Pozan said, his eyes widened in terror. "Is…Alan."

Ginta stared at Alan as though he was truly seeing him for the first time. He had known that Alan had fought in the last War Games, and he knew that he was tough as nails, but he was still having difficulty accepting what he had just witnessed. Alan had killed Alibaba, despite his pleas for mercy.

"I guess that's how the old man fights," he said.

"I know that I would never want to fight him," Jack said, his voice slightly higher than normal. Ginta glanced over at Snow, who had finally opened her eyes.

"Oh, Ed," Snow said. "You didn't have to kill him."

Alan had finally reached the group.

"What a joke that was," he said, clearly oblivious to everyone's shock. "That ARM wasn't even half full of magic yet. I was hoping for a challenge."

Ginta wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Well, hey, at least we won! We only need two more wins and we win this round!"

"That's right," Alan said. "So, which of you is up next?"

Ginta glanced over at the Chess Pieces. Pano – the girl who beat Jack in the first match – had stepped into the middle of the field.

"I guess I'll go next," Jack said. "I want a rematch."

"Alright! Good luck buddy!" Ginta said as he slapped Jack on the back.

"Thanks, Ginta," Jack said. "I think this time will be different."

"Let's hope so," Alviss said.

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It mean's that you better not lose," Babbo grunted. "I don't think that I could have one of my servants lose twice in a row. How would that reflect upon me?"

"Shut up!" Jack shouted as he began to walk towards Pano.

"This kid again?" She said, rolling her eyes. "This is going to be the same as last time!"

"I've got some surprises," Jack said with a grin. "There's no way that you'll beat me again."

"Whatever you say, monkey," Pano said as she brandished her mace. "I just hope that your teammates have a grave dug for you, cause I'm not holding back."

Pozan lifted his arm. "Second battle: Jack of Team MAR versus Pano of the Chess Pieces!"

Pano immediately started things off.

"Detach!" she shouted, and the heavy metal ball detached from the Ball Hammer's metal handle. "Attack!" she shouted, and the ball shot towards Jack.

Jack's eyes followed the ball as it zigzagged erratically through the air. Just when it was about to hit him he sidestepped and stuck out his arm, catching the ball in his hand.

"He caught it?" Snow said.

"Alright, Jack!" Ginta cheered. His enthusiasm was cut short when he noticed that Jack was clutching his hand.

"I shouldn't have done that," Jack whimpered.

"Stop trying to be a big shot!" Alan shouted. "That's what got you into trouble the last time!"

Jack nodded. "Weapon ARM: Battle Shovel!" he shouted, and the bracelet on his wrist transformed into a silver shovel.

"My turn!" Jack shouted. Pano recalled the metal ball and took a defensive stance. Jack lifted his shovel and shoved it into the hard ground. He proceeded to walk towards Pano, completely unarmed.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Ginta shouted.

"Just trust me, Ginta," Jack said confidently.

Pano switched back to offense.  
"Attack!" She shouted, and she flung the metal ball back at Jack. "Quatro!" she shouted, and the ball split into four wedges, each one flying chaotically across the battlefield. Jack continued to walk towards her, periodically edging out of the way of one of the wedges hurtling towards him.

Jack broke out into a run as the wedges became more and more chaotic. Jack dodged one of the wedges, then another, then another. He was mere feet from Pano by now. He stretched out his arm to attack but the last wedge rammed into his stomach, sending him sliding back. Jack was doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"It's okay Jack, walk it off!" Ginta shouted.

Jack slowly raised himself back to his full height.

"Well, at least it worked," he said smugly.

"What worked?" Pano said. "You didn't even touch me."

"Didn't have to," Jack said with a grin. "Now!" Jack shouted, and his Battle Shovel shone with light.

"What are you talk- ughhh!" Pano shouted. Many large red mushrooms had begun to sprout up all over her body. "What is this!"

"My Funky Fungi," Jack said. "My Battle Shovel was able to spread its magic through the ground and up to you, speeding up their growth. All I had to do was plant the seeds."

"Get them off!" Pano shouted as she tugged fruitlessly at the mushrooms. "This is so gross! Somebody get them off of me!" She suddenly stopped pulling at them, only to start looking around fearfully.

"We've got to get out of here!" she shouted, her voice thick with fear. "We have to hurry! Why is everyone just standing around!" She proceeded to run wildly about, screaming her head off.

"I am so confused," Ginta said.

"It's those mushrooms," Alan said. "They must be hallucinogenic."

"Brilliant strategy, Jack!" Babbo shouted. "Now hurry up and finish her off!"

Jack nodded and began to walk towards Pano, who was now waving her arms over her head as she screamed about more imaginary terrors. She stopped flailing once Jack had reached her. Ginta wasn't quite sure, but it almost looked as though she was blushing.

"Who…who are you?" She said dreamily.

"It's me, Jack," Jack said. "You look like you need some help."

"When did you get so handsome," Pano asked, swooning.

"I've always been like this," Jack said, smiling. "I'll make you a deal. If you surrender now, I'll get those mushrooms off of you. How does that sound?"

"Okay," Pano said as she threw her arms around his neck. "Whatever you say."

Pozan looked very confused. "The…the… winner is… Jack… I guess."

Jack, who was still beaming, began to pluck the mushrooms off of Pano's arms. He then headed back over to Team MAR, Pano following behind.

"Chalk another one up for Team MAR," he said. "Told you this time would be different," he said to Alviss.

Alviss opened his mouth to retort, but then Pano wrapped her arms around Jack again and kissed him on the cheek, leaving him lost for words. Jack, who seemed to be enjoying all of the attention, inadvertently brushed off the last mushroom from Pano.

Pano shook her head. She took a few steps back from Jack, a very confused look on her face.

"What the…? She said as she stared at Jack for a few moments, a look of sudden comprehension on her face.

"Ugghh! What a creep!" she shouted, and she swung her leg forward, hitting him painfully in the groin.

Ginta, Alviss, Alan and Babbo all grimaced as Jack fell slowly to the ground. Pano, who still looked disgusted, marched haughtily back over to rejoin the Chess Pieces.

"Hey, at least you won, right Jack?" Snow said consolingly. Jack whimpered and muttered something unintelligible.

"Which of you will be participating next?" Pozan said.

"I'll go next!" Snow said, enthusiastically jumping up and down. She didn't wait for anyone to answer, and before Ginta knew it she was skipping off towards her opponent – the man with the large nose and the poufy outfit. She suddenly paused and turned towards Pozan.

"Wait a minute," she said, a little out of breath. "I'm not ready yet. It's too hot!" She proceeded to unzip her and take off her jacket and the heavy shirt that she wore underneath, leaving her fighting in just her shorts and a pink tank top. Ginta could feel himself going red.

"Wow, it sure is hot here, isn't it," he said. Snow rolled her eyes before turning back to Pozan. "Ready!" she said.

Pozan lifted up his arm. "The third match will be Snow of Team MAR against Mr. Hook of the Chess Pieces." He swung his arm down, but froze. He was gazing over at the area where the other Chess Pieces had gathered. The Chess Pieces looked just as confused as he did. It didn't take too long for Ginta to realize why. Standing amongst them was the hooded man in the black coat from the other day.

"Who are you!" Pano shouted. The hooded man turned towards her.

"I'm Mr. Hook's replacement," he said curtly. He began to walk out into the middle of the battlefield.

"Wait a minute," Mr. Hook said angrily. "This is my match. You'll just have to wait you're turn."

"I agree," Pozan said. "This is very unorthodox. You'll have to wait for the next round. Our side already has five people." The cloaked man turned his hooded head towards Pozan, who had resumed his nervous sweating.

"Phantom's orders," he said lazily. "You gonna go against you're boss?"

Pozan, if anything, looked even more surprised. "Phantom sent you?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you," Rolan said, laughing. "Phantom instructed me to tell you that this might happen! Sorry!"

"Well, if they're Phantom's orders," Pozan said. Mr. Hook grudgingly walked back towards the assembled Chess Pieces, the cloaked man taking his place.

"I guess I should take my hood off," the man said as he raised his hands to lower his hood. His face was heavily scarred, and he wore an eye patch over his right eye. He had long black hair that had streaks of gray, and it was tied back into a ponytail.

"So that's the guy that defeated Gaira," Alviss said grimly. "This isn't good."

"Snow should be able to handle this, right" Ginta said. Both Alan and Alviss exchanged worried glances. "Wait, what's the problem?"

"I saw Snow fight the other day," Alan said. "I was watching from inside that dog. She was good. But the ice element is useless here," Alan said, frowning. "And if this guy was able to beat Gaira… If I had known that he was going to be fighting I wouldn't have gone first."

Ginta had suddenly gotten very worried, but he was determined to cheer Snow on.

"You can do it Snow!" he shouted. "Just don't give up!" Snow nodded, a look of complete determination on her face.

"The third match will be between Snow of Team MAR against…umm…what was your name?" Pozan asked.

"It's Xigbar," the man said lazily. He had a very odd accent – he almost sounded like a surfer.

"Versus Xigbar of…"

"Organization XIII," Xigbar said, grinning.

"Right. Let the battle begin!"

Ginta was eager to see what ARM Xigbar would use, but he didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry. Snow, on the other hand, was already sprinting towards him.

"Nature ARM: Ice Sword," she shouted, and a large ice sword enveloped her arm. She lunged at Xigbar, who shimmered oddly before stepping out of the way.

"That's a cool trick," he said. Snow looked slightly confused for a moment but she quickly regained her composure. She slashed horizontally with her ice sword, but Xigbar simply shimmered again as he stepped out of the way.

"Man, the heat here is really messing with my vision!" Ginta said as Snow continued to fruitlessly slash at Xigbar, her opponent shimmering out of the way each time.

"I don't think it's that simple," Alan said, his brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Ginta asked, but Alan didn't answer. Ginta turned his attention back to the battle.

Xigbar had managed to put some distance between himself and Snow, who was dripping in sweat. She wasn't the only thing that was dripping though – her ice sword was slowly melting from the intense heat that the volcanoes gave off, and Ginta finally understood just how dire Snow's situation was. Her hopes of winning were quickly melting away. If the battle went on any longer Snow would definitely lose. Perhaps that was what Xigbar's strategy was. He still had yet to attack or use an ARM of any kind. He simply stood their watching Snow panting.

"I was replaced by him?" Mr. Hook said, crossing his arms. "He's pathetic."

Xigbar looked over his shoulder at him. "Look's like someone's pants are on too tight," he said. "But if you really want me to fight…" he said, raising up his arms. The odd heat waves suddenly appeared around him and what looked like two oversized black and purple pistols appeared, each one spinning rapidly at his shoulders. He snatched the pistols from the air; each one made a loud cocking sound as an arc of red spikes appeared underneath each barrel. He raised one of the guns up to his eye and took aim.

"Look out, Snow!" Ginta shouted.

Xigbar's guns gave a loud pinging sound as he fired a four round burst at Snow. She quickly raised up her ice sword, the red arrows chipping off large chunks of ice when they hit. Xigbar fired off another volley, then another, then another; each burst would cause larger and larger sections of ice to fracture off of Snow's sword, until the combination of heat and Xigbar's shots had completely melted it away, leaving Snow defenseless.

"I guess this is it, Princess," Xigbar said. He raised one of his pistols, but instead of the normal pinging sound, there was a loud click. Xigbar rolled his eye.

"Agghh, I gotta reload!" he said, and he swung his arms downwards causing more of the red arrows to light up on his gun. He brought a pistol up to his eye and took aim before firing another salvo.

Snow dashed sideways, dodging the arrows – or at least Ginta had thought she had. The arrows began to bend sideways as they homed in on Snow, who was only barely able to avoid them by lunging sideways and landing painfully on the hard ground.

"His shots curve!" Ginta shouted. "That's not fair!"

"This guy's kind of scary," Jack stammered. "How's Snow supposed to beat him?"

"Snow!" Alviss shouted. Snow glanced sideways, making sure that she kept one eye locked on Xigbar, who had stopped shooting and was allowing his guns to spin idly up by his shoulders. "He can only fire sixteen arrows before needing to reload. Use that to your advantage!"

Snow nodded, her look of determination still set on her face. Xigbar smiled again.

"This fight's putting me to sleep, Princess," he said. "I hope that this isn't the best you can do."

Snow frowned, her eyes glaring at him. Her right hand dropped down to her side as she brushed something hanging from her hip.

"Nature ARM: Iced Earth!" she shouted. The ARM lit up, and barrage of tiny icicles fired from her hand, heading directly at Xigbar.

Xigbar stuck his two pistols together and fired off a shotgun blast of arrows that collided with the ice shards.

"Not bad!" he said enthusiastically. "That actually made me use up all of my shots. Reload!" he shouted, and more red arrows filled his guns.  
Snow began to strafe around him, periodically firing more barrages of ice shards at him, Xigbar continuing to counter them with more shotgun blasts.

"Snow needs to find some break in his defenses," Alan said. "She can't keep this up."

Snow seemed to be thinking the same thing. She fired another ice blast at Xigbar, who answered with another shotgun blast, before changing directions and running directly at him.

"Why's she running right at him!" Jack shouted. "He's got a clear shot now!"

"No, she's timed it perfectly," Alviss said. "Xigbar's out of ammo now."

"Now we're talkin'!" Xigbar said, raising a pistol up. He fired another burst, but no arrows fired.

"I'm empty?" Xigbar said. He raised his arms to reload, but it was too late. Snow was a mere five feet from him before leaping into the air. She arched over Xigbar, whose head was tilting back to follow her trajectory. She waited until she was directly over Xigbar before shouting, "Iced Earth!" Another barrage of ice shards rained down on him. The shards impacted heavily, kicking up a large amount of dirt and concealing them both from view.

"Yeah, she got him!" Jack shouted. "I was worried there for a little bit."

"No one could fight after getting hit by that!" Ginta said excitedly. He was relieved – for a moment there he didn't think that Snow would be able to win.

"You'd be right, Kiddo, if she had hit me."

Ginta watched with horror as the dust settled, revealing an unharmed Xigbar standing a few yards away from a very exhausted Snow.

"That's impossible!" Ginta shouted. How could Snow have missed? She fired at point-blank…no one could have dodged her attack.

Pozan raised up his arm. "This match goes to-"

"Wait!" Snow shouted. "I'm not…I'm not giving up!" she stammered, and she struggled to her feet.

"Don't be a fool, Snow!" Alviss shouted. "You can't beat this guy. Just give up before he kills you!"

Snow shook her head stubbornly.

"I promised Ginta I wouldn't give up!" she called back.

Xigbar looked amused at her determination.

"Oh, so you made a promise? How cute," he said. He gave one of his pistols a spin before attaching the other one to the tip of its barrel, forming a crude sniper rifle. He brought the rifle combination up to his unpatched eye and aimed down the sights.

Snow brushed her hand against her ARM again. "Nature ARM: Iced Earth," she shouted and another barrage of ice fired from her hand.

"Take this!" Xigbar shouted. The rifle jerked up to his face as he fired, but instead of shooting the normal four shot burst, the rifle fired a single large, blue arrow. The arrow flew through Snow's barrage and instantly melted all of the icicles. Snow attempted to dodge but was too slow; she gave a shout of pain as the blue arrow hit her shoulder. She fell to her knees, her hand clutching her wound.

"No!" Ginta shouted, his voiced layered with panic.

Xigbar's rifle snapped towards his face as he fired another shot.

"Yuki-chan!" Snow shouted, tossing her snowman necklace forward. A large snowman appeared before her, blocking the arrow. Xigbar fired another shot, but the snowman resolutely blocked it.

"Well, this certainly is a pickle," Xigbar said. He absentmindedly scratched his head with one of his pistols as he thought.

"You out of ideas?" Mr. Hook shouted, his voice smug. Xigbar glanced back at him.

"As if," he said. "I've just got to change my strategy a bit." He separated his two pistols and fired two blue projectiles, each one curving in a large arch around Snow's guardian.

"Yuki-chan!" Snow shouted, and two more snowmen appeared on each side, blocking Xigbar's attack. Snow shouted again, and another snowman appeared behind her, the four snowman completely blocking her from view. Xigbar didn't give up. He began to strafe around Snow, firing a barrage of red arrows at her in hopes of breaking through her defenses.

Snow's snowman defense showed no sign of weakening though, and after awhile Xigbar had paused again. Ginta hoped that he was about to give up, but after a few more moments Xigbar smiled, shaking his head.

"I got to hand it to you blue haired girls," he said. "You really won't give up, even when you're back's against the wall. Unfortunately for you, Princess, I don't give up too easily either."

Ginta gasped. Xigbar had suddenly disappeared from where he stood. It wasn't a mirage – he was actually gone.

"What the…?" he said, but what he saw next made his heart skip a beat. Hovering upside down above Snow was Xigar, both his pistols ready to fire.

"Snow watch out!" Alviss shouted, but it was too late. Snow gave another shout of pain as Xigbar emptied his pistols, a shower of red spikes raining down on her. The four snowman disappeared, leaving Snow hunched over on the ground.

Everyone on both sides of the field was stunned at Xigbar's sudden display of power. Ginta was too shocked to speak.

"This fight goes to-" Pozan shouted, but once again he was cut off.

"Hold your horses," Xigbar said. He had teleported again, and was standing directly in front of Snow. One of his pistols was slung over his shoulder; the other was pointed directly at her.

Ginta couldn't believe what he was seeing. The fight was over, why was he still fighting? Then a horrible thought hit him. What if…?

"I can't let you off easy, Princess," Xigbar said, and for the first time he looked serious. Snow lifted her head and saw what he was about to do, a look of terror in her eyes. "Sorry," he said.

Before Ginta had realized it the words had escaped his mouth.

"Babbo, Version Two!" he shouted. He had sprinted onto the battlefield, the Babbo Bubble Launcher clutched in his hand. He dashed towards Snow, his Launcher trained on Xigbar.

"Don't do it!" he shouted, skidding to a halt behind Snow, who was still on the ground. "I'll shoot, don't think I won't! This fight's over, you've won. There's no need for this!" Ginta's eyes were narrowed in anger – he wasn't going to let Xigbar kill Snow, not if he could help it.

Xigbar looked over at Ginta, but he kept his pistol pointed at Snow. He stared at him, his eyes lingering on Ginta's raised Bubble Launcher. He appeared to be weighing Ginta's threat. Then, much to Ginta's surprise, he smiled again. "What is with that look? Talk about déjà vu! Alright, calm down, Kiddo. I won't hurt your girlfriend!" His two pistols suddenly disappeared from view. "Call it," he said to Pozan.

Pozan, who looked exhausted from all of his nervous sweating, raised up his arm. "The winner is Xigbar!"

Ginta bent over and lifted a barely conscious Snow onto his back.

"I'm sorry, Ginta," she murmured. "I lost…"

Ginta shifted his gaze down to the hard ground. Just the other night he and Snow had been talking about the War Games. He had thought that he had been encouraging her when he had her promise to never give up - to fight to the end. The thought never occurred to him that Snow could get this hurt. Ginta's throat tightened. What if she had been killed?

"Ginta, are you mad at me?" she said weakly.

"No, Snow, I'm not. I'm - I'm sorry," Ginta said. "I didn't mean for it to go this far. I didn't ever want you to get hurt."

Snow whispered something unintelligible before passing out. Ginta carried her back over to the group. Alviss helped him set her gently down onto the ground. Alan stripped of his coat, folded it, and placed it under her head.

"I think that this is going to be Snow's last fight, at least for awhile," Alan told Ginta.

"She'll get better, won't she?" he asked. Alan nodded.

"She'll be alright. But she's still just a kid," Alan explained. "She's been on the run for so long…she hasn't had a moments peace since her stepmother placed a bounty on her head. She needs to rest. She deserves it."

Ginta nodded. This war was turning out a lot different then he thought.

"So, Organization XIII," Alviss said. "Who do you think they are?"

"I have no idea," Ginta said. He glanced back over his shoulder at Xigbar, but he had disappeared.

* * *

A Corridor of Darkness appeared in the middle of the throne room, Xigbar walking triumphantly from it.

"See, that's how a Nobody takes care of things," Xigbar said with a grin.

The other Nobodies had observed the battle from Phantom's throne room again.

"Way to go, Xiggy," Demyx said as he moved to give Xigbar a high five. Xigbar waited for a moment before half heartedly returning it. "You sure showed that girl what for," he said happily.

"Yes, it was quite a success," Zexion said.

Roxas didn't say anything. The knot that was in his stomach stayed with him throughout the entire battle, but now that it was over it had loosened a little. He wasn't quite sure what made him more relieved – that Xigbar had won, or that he had managed to do so without killing anyone.

"Bravo, bravo," Phantom said happily as he clapped his hands. "What a spectacular fight. You have impressed me, Xigbar."

"I do what I can," Xigbar said.

"Hopefully this is enough proof of our abilities," Saix said, smiling slightly.

Phantom continued to smile, but he didn't respond. The knot in Roxas' stomach tightened again. Saix's smile quickly disappeared.

"What is the meaning of this?" Saix said. "We have clearly performed to your standards."

"Yes, you have," Phantom said. "However, I cannot let an apparent disregard for my orders go unpunis-"

"Disregard?" Saix said, and even though he was calm, Roxas could here the danger in his voice. "Xigbar won his battle, yet you still refuse to trust us?"

Phantom rested his cheek in his hand, his smile still on his face. Roxas could tell that he was amused.

"If you recall, winning wasn't my only order. I specifically said that Princess Snow was to remain alive, and if it wasn't for Ginta's timely intervention, I fear that she wouldn't have survived. You have lost any trust that you had gained."

The Nobodies remained silent as they waited for Saix to react.

"Fine," Saix said. "How do we regain your trust?"

"I am barring you from competing in the next match. That seems to be a fair punishment, don't you think?" Saix didn't answer, so Phantom continued.

"The only thing is that we will be granting Team MAR a small respite tomorrow, so you will in fact be unable to fight for two days."

Saix continued to remain calm.

"I am not unreasonable, though," Phantom continued. "Have you ever heard of a Training Gate?" Saix shook his head.

"A Training Gate is a special dimension ARM, one that is specifically meant for rapid training. The Training Gate is able to slow the flow of time to one-sixtieth its normal rate. Meaning that during your two day suspension you can train for one-hundred and twenty days."

Saix took a long while to respond. Roxas was wondering if Saix was trying to decide whether or not to fight here and now, but then he spoke.

"I'm growing impatient," Saix said. "But if it's our only option…"

"Peta will bring you an ARM later this evening," Phantom said happily. "You all should wait in your quarters until then."

Saix nodded. He opened up a Corridor of Darkness and stepped inside, the others following behind.

* * *

_Okay everyone, well as you can tell it's been awhile since I've posted any new chapters, and I'm sorry for that. But there is good news - I'm almost done with Chapter 5, perhaps a week or so and it should be ready (today's September 9th, for reference). I've decided to combine Chapters 5 and 6, so that's why its taking so long. Anyway, thanks so much for your patience. Reviews and critiques are always appreciated, and if you have any other questions about this story or my next one feel free to PM me. Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Edit: Hello everyone, sorry it's been such a long time since I've last updated. But there is good news. I'm done with finals! So that means I'm back to full time writing. Expect an update soon!_

* * *

Roxas was on a beach. He could hear the crash of the waves; he could feel the cool breeze as it washed over the water and brought the salty scent to his nose. There were two people beside him, but he couldn't tell who they were. He glanced over to look, but then his head jerked up as a knock came at the door.

Saix, who had been patiently waiting by the door, reached out and pulled it open.

"It's about time," Saix said impatiently as he allowed Peta to enter.

"I'm afraid that my other duties had priority," Peta said in a slightly condescending voice.

Roxas rubbed his eyes, slightly annoyed that he had been woken so abruptly. He had been having a dream…or was it a memory? He always got them mixed up. The scene was familiar, but he was sure that he'd never been to a beach before - or had he? Roxas shook his head as he tried to remember, but then Axel tapped him on the shoulder and gestured over to where Peta and the other members had gathered. Roxas tried to bring his mind back to his dream, but it was no use. He sighed heavily before following Axel over to group.

"You will have two days to spend in the Training Gate," Peta said, holding up a metal chain that had a beast's head hanging from it. "I suggest that you make use of this time. Team MAR is proving to be much more challenging than expected."

"All of us will train to our limits," Saix said, his eyes lingering on Demyx for a moment. "I'll make sure of it."

"In what manner will we be able to train?" Zexion asked.

"This particular Training Gate has many different methods, of which I've already explained to Saix," Peta said. "I assure you that you will be challenged. Now, if you are prepared," he said, holding up the ARM. "Training Gate!" he shouted, and the ARM shown with light.

"What the…!" Demyx shouted as he jumped back. Roxas glanced down and was surprised to see that they were all standing on a set of double doors. The doors swung inward, revealing a spinning mass of color below them.

Roxas' stomach felt as though it had risen to his throat as the Nobodies fell through the doors. Roxas hung in an odd void – all he could see were the others around him. Then quite suddenly an entirely different world appeared before his eyes. He caught a glimpse of grass and trees and a waterfall before he felt weightless again as he plummeted to the ground. He landed hard and stumbled onto one knee. Roxas shook his head as he tried to reorient himself. The others had all landed around him – some with more success than others.

Demyx and Zexion where sprawled on the ground, both of them looking very dazed.

"Ugh…I prefer Corridors," Demyx said as he laid back, clearly in no hurry to get up.

Xaldin, Luxord, and Xigbar looked a bit winded, but they had managed to stay on their feet. Both Axel and Saix looked unfazed by the transition. Saix already was taking a look around.

"This should prove adequate," Saix said as he surveyed the Training Gate. "There's lots of room here."

"Room for what?" Demyx groaned.

"Training, obviously," Xigbar said.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Zexion asked Saix.

"From my observation of the previous matches I've noticed a pattern – that the victors are usually more conditioned then their opponents. That is where we'll start."

"Conditioned?" Demyx said. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Everyone, on your feet," Saix ordered. "We're going start immediately. Follow me," he said, and he set of at a brisk pace towards the nearest hill. None of the others seemed too eager to follow.

"Come on, Roxas," Axel sighed as he set off after Saix. "We better keep up with him. I'd rather not spend one-hundred and twenty days with a grumpy Saix."

"I'm growing more and more weary of this place," Zexion said as he followed Axel. Demyx groaned as Xigbar pulled him to his feet. Luxord and Xaldin didn't say anything as they broke into a run. Roxas, not wanting to be last, ran after them. This was going to be a long two days.

* * *

Ginta quietly pushed open the wooden door and peered inside. It was late, probably around midnight, and Snow was still in bed, unconscious from her battle. Sitting on a wooden stool at the side of her bed was Edward.

Ginta silently edged into the room, shut the door, and pulled over another stool.

"How is she?" he asked quietly. Ed didn't respond, but the grim look on his face said it all.

Team MAR had once again been victorious, with Ginta cementing their win in the third match. There wasn't any celebrating though.

Ginta knew that Ed was Snow's guard dog, but he was still surprised by his immense loyalty to her. He hadn't moved since he had taken up his spot next to her, and he had been refusing all food and drink. Ginta wasn't quite sure whether or not Ed held him responsible for Snow's injuries– he had barely said anything to anyone at all.

Ginta heard footsteps in the hall outside of the room. The door pushed open again as Dorothy, Alviss, Belle, Nanashi, and Alan filed inside. Ginta still wasn't used to seeing Ed and Alan in the same room together. Ginta had just recently used Babbo's fourth version, Alice, to break the curse that bound the two together. Unfortunately, it was unable to help either Alviss or Snow – Alviss' Zombie Tattoo was too powerful of a curse to break, and since Snow's wounds were physical and not caused by a dark curse, Alice was powerless to help her.

"Still asleep?" Dorothy asked as she took a seat at the end of Snow's bed. Ginta nodded.

"Are you sure it won't work?" he asked her again. She rolled her eyes.

"I've already told you a million times, I can't use Snow's Healing Angel ARM to heal her," she said exasperatedly.

"But why?" Ginta insisted. "You've got enough magical power, why can't you heal her?"

"It isn't that simple, Ginta," she explained. "Snow has used the Healing Angel so frequently that it has almost perfectly synched with her. Even if I tried to heal her it wouldn't respond well to me – I doubt that I'd be able to heal a bruise with it. I'm afraid she'll have to heal naturally."

The sound of clanking metal drew Ginta's attention back to the door. Babbo soon bounced inside, followed closely by Jack.

"So, she's still resting?" Babbo asked concernedly.

"She'd be resting a lot better without you bouncing around," Alan said. It was only the seriousness of the situation that kept Babbo from retorting, so he resorted to glaring at Alan before turning his attention back to Snow.

"I'm sure she'll pull through," he said, more for Ginta's benefit than anyone else's. Ginta still felt sick that this had happened, and it was a true mark of his and Babbo's friendship that the ARM was trying to cheer him up.

"What are we going to do if someone else gets hurt?" Jack said. "We can't win with only six of us."

"At least the Chess Pieces gave us an extra day to recover," Belle squeaked. "She should be all healed up by then, right?"

"Right!" Ginta said, a little bit louder than he had intended. "And I'll stay here with Ed until she's back to a hundred percent, even if it takes all night!"

"No, you won't," Alan said gruffly. "In fact, none of you will be." Ed made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "Except for you, Ed," Alan added.

"What do you mean?" Ginta said. "Where are we going?"

"To Gaira's Training Gate," Alan said. "All six of you."

Ginta, Babbo, Jack, Belle, Alviss, Nanashi and Dorothy immediately began to argue, but another growl from Ed silenced them.

"I hope that you aren't including me in that count," Dorothy said. "I've got better things to do."

"Yeah, and Alviss doesn't need to train!" Belle added. "It's the others that need to get stronger!"

"I'm not leaving!" Ginta said defiantly.

"Shut up!" Alan said, his voice raised. "It seems that none of you are taking this war seriously, and none of you have had to pay the price. Snow has… who wants to be next?" he said. None of the others responded – deep down they knew he was right. "None of you are strong enough yet," he continued.

"Don't you remember that I fought in the last war," Alviss said, his voice cold. "I know what I have to do."

"All I remember is you getting beat by that Knight a few hours ago," Alan said. "If any of you think that you're prepared for the next rounds you're sorely mistaken. Let's not forget about Xigbar, either," Alan said. Ginta instinctively glanced over at Snow. He couldn't forget – or forgive – what Xigbar did to Snow.

"This 'Organization XIII' is trouble," Alan said. "Xigbar was powerful. It's no wonder that he was able to beat Gaira."

"The truth is worse than that," Gaira said. Ginta looked over his shoulder to where Gaira was standing. He hadn't even noticed that he had come in.

"What do you mean, old man?" Ginta asked.

"That warrior – Xigbar – he was not the one that defeated me. It was a different fighter."

"What?" Alviss said, taking a step towards him. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Gaira said. "The warrior that defeated me fought differently. His weapons were different, and he was able to manipulate fire."

"So… that means that there are two of them?" Jack said nervously.

"More likely more then that," Alan said.

"Yeah, they're called Organization _XIII_," Babbo said, putting emphasis on the last word. "I'd deduce that there are thirteen of them."

"I think that's what everyone thought, Babbo," Alviss said irritably. Babbo frowned and, in what must have been an enormous amount of self-restraint for the ARM, held his tongue twice in the same day.

"Whoever they are, they've allied themselves with the Chess Pieces," Alan said. "That makes them our enemy – and they're strong too. They've proven themselves against Gaira – don't let his age fool you, he's a powerful fighter. I'd guess that Organization XIII is at Knight level. This won't be easy."

"What I want to know is what part of MAR they're from," Dorothy said thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure where they're from, but they're not from MAR," Nanashi said.

"And how would you know?" Alviss asked.

"Hey, I'm Captain of Luberia," Nanashi said proudly. "I know about all of the different guilds and private armies, and I've never heard of an Organization XIII."

"Maybe they're from another world, like Ginta," Jack suggested.

"It's possible," Alviss said. "But it's irrelevant at this time. We need to fight and defeat them. We have no choice."

Ginta felt a strong surge of hatred for Organization XIII. He'd seen bad things happen before – the Chess Pieces had killed a lot of innocent people. But Xigbar had tried to kill Snow… He didn't care how many people were in the Organization - he'd get revenge on all of them.

"We've got to beat them," Ginta said, his voice filled with determination. "Both the Chess Pieces and Organization XIII – we need to get stronger so that we can defeat them. We can't rest until we do!"

"That's what I thought," Alan said. "I want all of you to meet me out in the courtyard. I've got a special training schedule set up for you."

The others filed out one by one. Ginta remained seated. His head was still buzzing with questions. What type of special training did Alan have in mind? Ginta had already trained in the Training Gate for one hundred and sixty days, not to mention the six months he'd been training before the War Games had even started – there couldn't be anything new, could there?

"On your feet," Alan said. Ginta stood up and walked towards the door. He paused and glanced back at Snow.

"Don't worry," Alan said. "She's in good hands." Ginta looked over at Ed, nodded in agreement, and left.

* * *

Roxas finally crested the grassy hill. Both Axel and Saix were waiting at the top. Roxas slowed to a stop and clutched his knees, gasping for air. His forehead was dripping with sweat. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He gazed down the other side of hill, looking longingly at the large pool of water at the bottom that had a large waterfall emptying into it. Roxas really wanted to go for a swim – of course, the last time Demyx suggested this idea it didn't work out too well. It seemed that Saix was just as fond of assigning laps as he was ridiculously long runs. Roxas never knew that it was possible to sweat while swimming until then.

Roxas heard heavy footsteps behind him. Xaldin and Xigbar were both struggling up the hill, looking exhausted but relieved to finally be done. The other Nobodies weren't handling Saix's training regime nearly as well, and it was a full fifteen minutes before the others finished. Next came Luxord, then, much to Roxas' surprise, was Demyx, who immediately collapsed onto his back. Zexion was the last to finish – he crested the hill at a slow trot as he clutched a stitch in his side.

"I'm…getting…tired…of…this…Saix!" he gasped once he made it to the top of the hill and collapsed next to Demyx. "I refuse to run any more of your marathons!"

"Actually I think it was only about twenty-three miles…" Xigbar said, smiling. "…so not technically a marathon."

"Now's not the time, Xigbar," Xaldin grunted. "I have to agree. I'm growing weary all of your conditioning. Didn't Peta mention that this dimension had other uses?"

"Yeah, this stuff is pretty boring," Axel said, who, unlike the others, wasn't out of breath.

Saix, who seemed to accept that mutiny was imminent, nodded, and then he snapped his fingers.

Roxas immediately tensed as a shadow entered his peripherals. First one, then another, then another – Roxas counted seven Shadow Heartless. Or at least he thought they were Heartless. As Roxas looked around he saw that all of the Nobodies' shadows had sprung to life and were now squirming along the ground, breaking free from their bodies and taking on dimensions of their own. A few seconds later the seven shadow Nobodies had gathered opposite their more solid counterparts.

"These shadows will serve as you opponents," Saix said. "They perfectly mirror your power levels and fighting styles."

"So as you grow in strength, they do as well?" Zexion asked.

"That seems like a game that you can never win," Luxord said, grinning. "I like it."

"Wait, so they have all of our skills?" Demyx said, a little bit more enthusiastically then Roxas expected. Saix nodded. "Awesome!" Demyx shouted as he leapt to his feet, taking the others by surprise. He summoned his Sitar, his shadow doing the same before they broke out in a sitar duel, each one playing rapid solos. Saix buried his face into his palm.

"Stop fooling around Demyx," Saix growled. "We are here to train." Demyx, still grinning, obliged.

"Everyone should spread out," Saix instructed. "Make sure that you have room to fight."

"We call the pool!" Demyx shouted as he slapped hands with his shadow. The others went their separate ways down the hill.

Roxas, who was still exhausted from the run, walked in silence with his shadow until they came to a large flat field. Roxas walked into the middle of the field and looked around. He must be pretty far from the others – all he could hear was the sound of the wind and the distant crash of the waterfall.

Roxas, spotting a small creek that ran around the edge of the field, rushed over to it and started gulping down water. He splashed some of the cool water on his face before making his way over to some stone ruins that were on the other side of the creek. He collapsed against one of the overgrown stone pillars. His shadow followed suit and sat cross-legged on the ground next to him.

Upon closer examination his shadow looked to be just as exhausted as he was. Roxas and his shadow rested for awhile before Roxas, feeling a sudden urge to spar, got to his feet. He walked back over to the field, his shadow following.

"Well, I think this is the best we're going to get, right?" Roxas said, feeling slightly odd that he was talking to his shadow. His shadow nodded and got into position opposite him.

"Let's do this," Roxas shouted, and the two began their training.

* * *

"Okay, back to the courtyard!" Pozan shouted, as he teleported himself and Team MAR back to the castle – they were the only survivors.

Team MAR had chalked up another victory, and even though they had pulled off an amazing feat by getting this far, Ginta was still fuming. The last match had cost a lot...none of the Chess Pieces had survived the match – and even though they were his enemies, he couldn't help but feel a pain of regret at the loss of life. Ginta was still disgusted with the way that the Knight Rapunzal had slaughtered her teammates as punishment for losing. She'd leave their fate up to a game of rock, paper, scissors – and even if they won, she'd still have them killed. Ginta had never witnessed such brutality.

Of course, he should have expected to see people die, but it still sucked the wind out of him every time he saw it. It's a feeling that you can't get from video games or movies… and if Chess Pieces were dying this round, how long until one of his friends is killed? They really dodged a bullet with Snow, but what about next time?

Ginta scanned the crowd – which had erupted with applause at their arrival – in search of Snow. He immediately picked out Alan and Gaira, who were easily the tallest people in the crowd. Near them was Ed, who was standing besides Snow. She still had some bandages on her (Dorothy had explained that magical power takes longer to recover than physical strength, especially after a near death experience, so she still couldn't use the Healing Angel ARM), but at least she was okay.

"Congratulations, Ginta!" Snow shouted, waving happily over at him. "That was an amazing fight!"

"Thanks!" Ginta shouted back. Snow ran over to the group, smiling.

"You all did great!" She said. "All of you won your matches – that's amazing!"

"Well, technically I didn't win mine," Nanashi said sadly. Ginta new that he wasn't upset about his loss – he allowed his match to end in a draw in hopes of saving his opponent's life; unfortunately, his ploy failed.

"It was still really nice of you, Nanashi," Snow said encouragingly. She suddenly frowned.

"Dorothy! Are you alright?" she asked as she hurried over to her. Dorothy was clutching at a wound in her side. She had fought the most difficult battle of all, against Rapunzal, but at least she was still alive.

"I'm fine," Dorothy said through gritted teeth.

"That look's really bad," Jack said.

"It just stings a little."

"Here, let me get it," Snow said, holding up her Healing Angel ARM.

"But Snow, you don't have enough magic power. It won't do much good…"

"Trust me, it'll work," she insisted. "I've been resting up in Alan's Training Gate. I didn't want to waste any magical power in case one of you got hurt. I'm glad I waited…this is really serious!"

Dorothy frowned and turned away.

"I'm fine. You should use that on yourself first."

"No way!" Snow said stubbornly. "Either I'm healing you or I'm not healing anyone! You're much more hurt then I am!"

Ginta was shocked at Snow's selflessness. All she wanted to do was help, even though she was still injured from her fight with Xigbar. Ginta never thought that a princess would be like that.

"…Fine…" Dorothy said, reluctantly removing her hand. The wound was deep, and it was still bleeding. Snow nodded and held the ARM up to Dorothy's side. The ARM shown with light as it magically healed Dorothy's wound.

"Wow, thanks," Dorothy said. "I'm impressed with you, Snow. Not many people could heal a wound that bad, especially when they're injured too."

Snow smiled, but Ginta could tell that she looked more exhausted than she had before. She still wasn't back to one-hundred percent.

"Listen up," Alan said, and they all looked up at him. "You all fought flawless matches, which means that all the time you spent in the Training Gate wasn't wasted."

"Please, Alan, try not to lavish us with praise," Nanashi said, grinning. "You're making me blush."

"But don't get cocky!" Alan grunted. "We're not even close to the end of the War Games. The matches are only going to get harder."

"That's what you keep saying," Babbo said, annoyed. "How about you let us celebrate our victory, for once?"

Alan smiled. "Fine, go celebrate. You've got the rest of the day, and all tomorrow too."

"We do!" Ginta shouted. "When did this happen?"

"While you were gone," Alan said. "One of the Chess Piece grunts came by and said that tomorrow's another free day. You guys can relax."

"Alright, vacation!" Ginta said, slapping hands with Jack. "I finally get a day to sleep in!"

"No," Dorothy said. Ginta and Jack both looked horrified.

"What do you mean?" Ginta said. "Not more training?"

"I'm going home tomorrow," Dorothy said. "To Kaldea; and I want all of you to come with me."

"No way!" Ginta said excitedly. "We get to come too? That's awesome!"

"Yes, I think that you all need to come."

"I don't know…" Nanashi said. "I was looking forward to a little R and R. You know, find me some ladies…"

"You just found out that tomorrow was a vacation a minute ago," Alviss said. "How could you have been looking forward to it?"

"I think that we should go," Snow said. "If Dorothy thinks that it's important, we should listen to her."

"How would we even get there?" Jack said. "Isn't Kaldea supposed to be really far away?"

"I'll have Andarta take us there," Dorothy said. "It won't take long. We should be back by lunch."

"It's settled then," Alan said. "Dorothy, Ginta, Babbo, Nanashi, Snow, Jack, and myself will travel to Kaldea. Belle and Ed can stay here with Gaira. We'll leave first thing tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me!" Ginta said. "But can we go get some food now? I'm starving!"

The rest of them murmured in agreement, then headed into the castle to eat.

* * *

Roxas felt his whole arm shudder as the Oathkeeper clanged against his shadow's Oblivion. His shadow spun around, and Roxas ducked; he could feel his shadow's Oathkeeper graze the top of his hair. Roxas lunged, his Oblivion thrusting forward; his shadow sidestepped and pinned Roxas arm against its side. It twisted his arm, and Roxas winced as he felt the pain shoot through his arm. Roxas swung blindly, but his shadow simply spun him around and released. Roxas hit the ground hard and skidded to a stop. He pounded the ground with his fist, but he didn't have any time to feel frustrated – he pushed himself back up, ready to continue the fight. His shadow was already on the move. Roxas brought his Oblivion up and parried his shadow's attack, and then he countered with his own. His shadow brushed the strike aside, and Roxas saw his shadow's Oathkeeper flash; he felt a stinging on his shoulder where he had been cut. Roxas grimaced, but he tried his best to ignore the pain. Roxas supposed that his shadow was paying him back for the beat down he gave the other day – but Roxas wouldn't let him off easy.

With a sudden burst of strength Roxas charged at his shadow, his Keyblades twirling in his hands. His shadow lunged towards him, and the two of them impacted, Roxas Oathkeeper and Oblivion locked with their shadow forms. Roxas pushed with all of his might, and his shadow pushed with his. They were perfectly even matched – Roxas had been fighting his shadow for at least forty days, and at the end of every day the two would admit to a draw and go rest. It wasn't like the duels were easy, either; Roxas' shadow kept him on his toes – even surprising him a few times. Roxas would soon realize that this was one of those times.

Roxas, finally accepting that he wouldn't be able to overpower his shadow, retreated, putting a good fifteen feet between him and his shadow in the process. He strafed around his shadow, hoping to be able to attack his weak side. But his shadow was acting odd. Roxas had expected it to try to intercept him like usual, but this time it stayed rooted to the ground.

"Come on, attack," Roxas muttered. Almost as though it had heard him, his shadow spun around, his shadow Oblivion scraping the ground as it created a pillar of light that propelled itself towards him.

Roxas rolled to the side, the light pillar missing him by inches.

"Wow, I didn't know that I could do that!" he shouted. Roxas got back to his feet, took his stance, and then mimicked his shadow's movements. Nothing happened. His shadow took advantage of Roxas' confusion by sending another pillar at him. Roxas wasn't fast enough this time: he was lifted up as the pillar – which felt a lot more sold then it looked – knocked him off his feet.

Roxas felt the wind get knocked out of him as he hit the ground. He didn't have time to rest though – his shadow had leapt high into the air, the point of his shadow's Oathkeeper pointing straight down.

Roxas rolled out of the way, his shadow's Keyblade sinking into the grass where Roxas' head had been only seconds before. Roxas got to his feet. His shadow struggled for a moment to pull his Keyblade from the earth; Roxas took the opportunity to try another light pillar attack. He took a moment to focus on his light element; he spun around, his Oathkeeper twirling in his hand. Roxas felt a surge of power as a pillar of light burst forth. Keeping with his momentum, he spun again, and another pillar of light shot from the Oblivion.

Roxas' shadow dodged the first one, but the second one was too close behind for him to dodge. It hit, and Roxas' shadow flew back.

Roxas, who was bursting with excitement at his new attack, sprinted towards his shadow, ready to continue the assault. His shadow struggled to its feet, clutching its chest. Roxas skidded to a stop.

"I guess that last one hurt, huh?" he asked his shadow, which nodded. Roxas could feel his shadow's pain – his chest was still throbbing from where the light pillar had hit him.

"Why don't we call it a day?" he suggested. His shadow, looking as relieved as a shadow could, began to limp towards one of the stone pillars by the ruins.

Roxas felt odd. He was exhausted, and his whole body ached, but he was filled with the will to keep fighting. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him; he felt a need to duel – a competitiveness like he'd never felt before. He wished that Axel was here so that he could duel him.

Roxas noticed that his shadow was waving at him in an effort to get his attention. Its head was cocked inquisitively to one side.

"I'm going to keep going," Roxas shouted. "You can take a break, I want to see what I can do with these light pillars." Roxas' shadow shrugged and headed over to a tree to rest.

"Okay," Roxas told himself. "Let's see what I can do."

* * *

Ginta and the rest of Team MAR woke early on the morning of their trip to Kaldea. They all ate a quick breakfast and then gathered in the courtyard – which was thankfully empty.

"Everyone ready?" Dorothy asked, before holding up her ARM. "To Kaldea!" she shouted, and an aura appeared around them as they teleported away.

Ginta never ceased to be amazed by Andarta – one second he was staring at the stone courtyard at the castle, and the next he was in a dark, circular room that was lit by eight candles that were arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. Standing alone in the center of the candles was a cloaked figure, who seemed to sense the arrival of the newcomers since he didn't even turn to look at them before speaking.

"I've been expecting you, Dorothy," The man said slowly. Ginta could tell by the sound of his voice that he was old.

"I'm sorry, elder. The search took longer then I thought."

"What search?" Ginta asked. "What were you looking for Dorothy?"

"Don't interrupt," she said sternly. Ginta was taken back by her sudden formality. This old man must be really important.

"Not what, but who, Ginta," The old man said.

"Wait, how do you know my…?"

"That's not important," the man said, turning around. He was indeed very old looking. "There are many things that we must discuss, Ginta. But they will have to wait, for now. There are a few more pressing things to go over first."

Ginta fell silent. What did the elder mean? And how did he know his name? This place was really weird.

"I've definitely found her, elder," Dorothy said grimly. "Diana is the Queen of the Chess Pieces. There is no doubt."

"What!" Both Ginta and Snow shouted at once. Ginta was shocked at Snow's reaction.

"You mean…Diana…" Snow said, her voice slightly shaking. "She's with the Chess Pieces?"

"Yes," Dorothy said, a confused look on her face. "But how do you know-"

"Diana…she's my stepmother," Snow said. The whole room stood in stunned silence.

"Snow, did you just say that, Diana, the Queen of the Chess Pieces, is your stepmother?" Ginta said in disbelief. Snow nodded somberly.

"That explains why there was a bounty on your head, Snow," Alan grunted. "By killing you she would have been next in line for the throne – she'd be in the perfect position to help the Chess Pieces take power."

"Diana was always power hungry," the elder said. "She betrayed us eight years ago by giving the Chess Pieces all of Kaldea's ARM – we've only just recently been able to reforge our entire stock. As long as she's alive she remains a threat to Kaldea."

"Which is why I must kill her," Dorothy said.

"But you can't!" Ginta shouted. "You promised me that you wouldn't kill anyone else!"

"It's my duty," she said coldly. "The laws of Kaldea demand it. She is my blood – thus she is my responsibility. I'm sorry, Ginta, I have no choice." She did look sorry that she had to break her promise, but her eyes were determined. She was really serious about this.

Ginta couldn't take anymore of this – the Chess Pieces, the War Games…everything! Look at what the Chess Pieces were doing. Not only were they hurting and killing the people of MAR, but they were turing his friends into killers themselves! It just wasn't right.

"So killing her is the only way?" Ginta sighed.

"If she truly is Queen of the Chess Pieces, then we need her out of the picture," Alan said. "Even if we defeat Phantom, Diana could still rally the Chess Pieces. This war won't end with her still alive. You need to accept that, Ginta. This is a war – people are going to die."

"Diana, it seems, isn't our only worry though," the elder said. "The Chess Pieces are as powerful as ever, and the appearance of the ones in black is most disturbing."

"You mean Organization XIII?" Jack said. "Yeah, they sure are strong."

"Indeed, and I fear that we have barely scratched the surface," the elder said. "All of you have many difficult battles to come – and Kaldea will do what it can to help," he said. Ginta heard a door open, followed by footsteps. He turned around and noticed another robed man approaching them.

"Greetings, friends of Dorothy," he said, bowing. "Please, follow me to our armory. We will provide you with new ARM that will complement your skills in battle. This way," he said, and he led Snow, Nanashi, Alan, Jack, and Alviss out of the room, leaving Ginta, Babbo and Dorothy alone with the elder.

"So…I guess everyone's getting new ARM? That's really going to help in the later matches," he said uncomfortably. The elder was now staring intently at Babbo¸ who was eyeing him very suspiciously.

"Is there a problem?" Babbo grunted. "Why do you keep staring at me?" The elder smiled.

"I was wondering if you were feeling nostalgic at all, Babbo, but it seems that your memories have still not returned."

"What are you talking about?" Babbo said, trying to sound nonchalant – but Ginta could tell that there was a not of curiosity in his voice. "I've never been here before in my life."

"Oh, but you have," the elder said, a note of amusement in his voice. "You are unique, Babbo. You are the only ARM to be infused with a human soul – the soul of one of Kaldea's elders, to me precise."

"What!" Babbo, Ginta, and Dorothy said in unison.

"How can this be?" Babbo said in disbelief. "But I have no memory of this place!"

"It would appear that Diana wiped your memory when she stole you," the elder said. "But, alas, you are back to were you belong. The fact that you have teamed up with Ginta is far from coincidence." Ginta opened his mouth to comment, but he was cut off by a low rumble that shook the entire room.

"What was that!" Ginta shouted. Dorothy looked extremely worried.

"It can't be them. There's no way that they'd attack here." She muttered as she ran towards the doors. Ginta and Babbo followed behind, certain that Dorothy was referring to the Chess Pieces.

Dorothy burst out the castle doors; Ginta and Babbo were right behind her. Ginta took a moment to take in the landscape – green grass leading up to thick forests, with tall spindly towers scattered about – before he realized exactly what was going on. There were large plumes of smoke everywhere, and the ground shook again from another explosion.

"We've got to do something!" Ginta shouted.

"Andarta!" Dorothy shouted, and the three of them were teleported to the midst of what appeared to be a burning village; Ginta's vision was obscured by the thick black smoke, and he could feel the burning heat of the flames that engulfed the buildings around him.

"Broom of Zephyrus!" Dorothy shouted, and a metal broom appeared in her hands. She swung the broom forcefully, creating a huge gust that blew out the flames. Ginta noticed that there were more people stumbling out of the buildings. He ran forward and helped an elderly man hobble out of a still smoking building.

"We had no warning!" he said, his voice shaking. "There wasn't anything we could do!"

"The Chess Pieces?" Ginta asked even though he already new the answer. The old man nodded. Ginta helped him over to where a group of survivors had gathered. He then sprinted back over to Dorothy.

"We can't let them get away with this!" he shouted. "You ready, Babbo!"

"You bet," Babbo said angrily.

"This is why I have to stop her," Dorothy said as she was trying to fight back tears. "I can't let Diana hurt anyone else!"

Ginta finally understood what Dorothy meant. Ginta might not like killing – he'd still try to avoid it at all costs – but sometimes, there's no other option.

"So where did the Chess Pieces go?" Babbo said. "We can't just sit around here."

"They probably will attack the West and East Towers next," Dorothy said once she had composed herself. "That's where we store all of our ARM."

"So, let's split up!" Ginta said, eager to jump into action. "I'll go to the East Tower."

"Right," Dorothy said. She held up her hand. "Andarta, take me to the West Tower, and take Ginta and Babbo to the East Tower!"

Ginta and Babbo were once again surround by light as Andarta took them to the East Tower, which was a tall stone tower located in a large courtyard. The tower already looked heavily damaged. Ginta immediately scanned the area for Chess Pieces. Ginta could see their silhouettes in the dust and smoke – he counted twenty…no twenty-five Chess Pieces.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," one of them mocked. "The infamous Ginta…normally I'd be more hesitant about fighting him…but twenty-five on one? I like those odds," he said. The others laughed. Ginta wasn't in the mood for banter – this was serious; he was going to make them pay.

"Version Two, Bubble Launcher!" Ginta shouted, and Babbo transformed into a silver gun-like bubble launcher.

"Let's get him!" one of the Chess Pieces shouted. Ginta could see the many figures of the Chess Pieces rushing at him through the smoke. They obviously hadn't noticed him activate Babbo's second form - or they were too arrogant to care. Either way they were going to lose.

Ginta squeezed the trigger, and within a few seconds the entire courtyard was filled with large, pink, highly explosive Babbo bubbles. All it took was for one of the Chess Pieces to accidently brush against one. There was a series of loud explosions as the bubbles exploded, completely drowning out the sounds of the attacking Chess Pieces. After the dust and debris had settled, Ginta stood with some satisfaction over twenty-five wounded or unconscious Chess Pieces.

Ginta thought for a moment about firing off another salvo – but these guys were already defeated – he didn't need too. Attacking them when they were already down would make him just as bad as the Chess Pieces.

The courtyard was suddenly filled with the sound of clapping. Ginta squinted through the smoke to see who it was. A figure was slowly making its way towards him, clapping.

"I'm impressed," the figure said, and Ginta's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the voice instantly. The figure got closer and closer, and once the dust settled Ginta's fear was confirmed – it was Phantom.

"What a pleasant surprise running into you here," Phantom said. "And you're so full of energy today. The way you fought against those Rooks – what rage!"

"Shut up!" Ginta shouted, and even though he sounded confident, his heart was beating very rapidly in his chest. He knew that he didn't have a chance. But he wouldn't run away – not even from Phantom.

"Why don't we have a little exhibition match?" Phantom suggested. "Just to see how we match up."

Ginta wanted to run, but he couldn't. He was glaring at Phantom with more hatred than he had ever felt in his life. This was the one who had caused this all of this pain and suffering; he was the one who had started the War Games; the one who had led the attack on MAR; he was the man who was responsible for killing his father.

"Version One, Dagger!" Ginta shouted, and the Bubble Launcher transformed, attaching to his right arm in the form of a dagger. Ginta charged at Phantom, all his fear driven away as he viciously slashed at him.

Phantom smiled as he dodged all of Ginta's attacks. Ginta cut at Phantom's head; he slashed at his torso and stabbed at his heart, but each of his attacks hit only air. Ginta was only barely able to register the extreme speed at which Phantom was moving. Ginta stopped his assault and leapt back, putting a large distance between him and Phantom.

"What's the matter? Tired already?" Phantom mocked. "You need to calm down – take a few deep breaths," he said, laughing.

"Stop mocking me!" Ginta spat.

"Please, Ginta, don't take this so seriously. This match was just for fun."

"This isn't a game!" Ginta shouted. "You're taking away people's lives!"

"Don't be so ignorant, Ginta," Phantom said. "People's lives are taken from them the minute they are born. As soon as you enter into this world you begin dying – some people just take longer then others. Now you can understand why I've embraced my Zombie Tattoo! I have finally overcome humanities' one great weakness. Why can't you understand? I have the power to grant you immortality! Accept my offer, please!"

"Never!" Ginta shouted. "You're the one that doesn't understand. I might not understand everything about life and death, but I believe that it is the shortness of our lives that makes them so precious! Version Two!" he shouted, and Babbo transformed back into the Bubble Launcher. Ginta pulled the trigger and held it, firing off more Babbo Bubbles then ever – he only stopped when he grew too weak to hold down the trigger.

There was a large explosion, but once the dust had settled Ginta saw that Phantom was completely unharmed.

"You must understand," Phantom said. "That even if you win the War Games you are still doomed to die. What do stand to gain from opposing me?"

"It isn't about gaining anything! It's about doing what's right!"

Phantom shook his head. "I really do pity you, Ginta. I'm afraid that we can't be friends after all. What a shame." Phantom lifted up his arm, and a large, flaming pumpkin appeared in his hand. It suddenly grew to an enormous size before Phantom flung it at Ginta.

Ginta tried to summon Babbo Version Three, but he didn't even have the time to get the words out. The pumpkin completely engulfed him. Ginta could feel it burning his skin, and it felt as though it was sucking the very air from his lungs. His entire body was burning – it felt like it was lasting forever.

After what seemed like an eternity of agony the pumpkin vanished, and Ginta fell to his knees. He tried to look up at Phantom, but his vision was darkening; there was blackness creeping in from his peripherals before eventually plunging him into darkness. Ginta felt the rest of his body hit the ground before he completely blacked out.

* * *

Roxas pushed open the large purple doors that led to outside the castle. Peta had finally retrieved him and the other Nobodies from the Training Gate, only to inform them that (yet again) the next match had been postponed, and that they were free to spend the day as they wished.

Roxas was surprised that Saix took the news as well as he did. He simply shrugged his shoulders and told the others to not get into trouble before leaving to presumably go see Phantom. Not wanting to wait around in the room with the others, Roxas decided to go outside.

It was weird – towards the end of the training session in the Training Gate he couldn't wait to get back to Phantom's castle, but now that he was there all he wanted was to escape the dark and gloomy passages and go outside. He was glad now that he had; it was a cool, clear day out, and Roxas immediately flopped onto the grass, happy to finally have some time to relax.

Roxas spent some time staring up at the cloudless blue sky before his mind began to wander, his thoughts eventually finding their way to the upcoming match. It had been such a long time since Roxas had been out of the Training Gate (or it at least felt like it had been awhile) that the thought of the War Games had slipped his mind. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the next day's match. He'd gotten so much stronger in the Training Gate – he really wanted to have a chance to test himself. But then again, he'd prefer not to have to hurt someone in the process.

Roxas got back to his feet, overcome with a sudden urge to look down at the lands below. He walked over to the edge of the castle's grounds, laid down onto his stomach and gazed over the edge.

His view of the ground below wasn't impeded by any clouds this time, and his eyes were immediately drawn to castle below. He recognized it as Regenlief, the castle where the games were hosted at. Roxas suddenly got to his feet.

"It looks like it's less then a mile…" he muttered to himself. "Beats hanging around here," he said, and he summoned a Corridor of Darkness. He walked through, the portal taking him down to the castle below.

The portal opened up in a narrow alley between two of the castle's large stone walls. Thankful that no one was around to see his portal, he cautiously headed out of the alley and turned left. He walked through a few side streets - turning arbitrarily as he saw fit - until he heard voices.

Saix's constant urgings of stealth prompted Roxas to stop and wait just out of sight. He listened intently to what sounded like two men conversing.

"Wait, so they're already back from Kaldea!"

"Yeah, they got back an hour or so ago. I heard that everyone got new ARM too!"

"Really! That's great! Who knows, maybe we actually do have a chance in this war."

"Let's hope so. We can only hope that Ginta's strong enough. Then we can finally live in peace!"

Roxas, deciding that he'd heard enough, and not wanting to draw attention to himself, went back down the side street and followed a different path. He couldn't help but think about what those two men were saying.

Who were they talking about? Who had gotten back from Kaldea? It had to have been Team MAR, why else would they have been so excited? And it sounds like they got new ARM too - the next fight wasn't going to be easy then.

Roxas' thoughts drifted to the last thing the man said: _"Then we can finally live in peace!" _So that's what Team MAR was fighting for…peace. Those two men seemed really happy at the prospect. Was he doing the right thing by helping the Chess Pieces?

Roxas looked up and was surprised to find that he had wandered into a large stone square.

"I've got to pay more attention," he said. "Somebody could have seen me."

"Ginta!

Roxas glanced over his shoulder. He was able to catch a blur of black and pink as he was tackled to the ground. Roxas burst out laughing as he was tickled mercilessly.

"Ha-ha…get off…" he gasped. "Stop it," he said, laughing hysterically as he frantically tried to shake the person off oh his back.

"Where have you been all day, Ginta?" the voice – a girl's – said. "I've been looking all over! It's been awhile since we've got to spend time together!"

"Stop…tickling…me!" Roxas said, laughing uncontrollably.

"Umm…Dorothy? I'm over here." Roxas heard a voice call. The person that had jumped him stopped tickling him, allowing Roxas a chance to glance up. Standing at the edge of the courtyard was a blond haired boy, who was looking at him with a very confused look on his face. Standing next to him was black haired boy, and on the other side of him was a floating metal mall attached to a chain. "What are you doing?" the blond boy said. "Who's that?"

The person finally got off of his back, and Roxas spun around to see who it was. It was a tall pink-haired girl, who looked very embarrassed. She looked at Roxas, then up at the other boy, then back to Roxas.

"Who are you?" she exclaimed, as though she was annoyed that Roxas wasn't the person she had thought he was.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Roxas said indignantly. She opened her mouth to answer, but she paused and examined him more closely. She looked him up and down, frowning.

"I know who you are," She said bitterly. Roxas was taken back.

"You do?"

"Your one of them," she spat. "You're from Organization XIII!"

Roxas was surprised. How did she know that he was from the Organization? No one other than the Chess Pieces had ever seen him.

"Yeah, I am," Roxas said. "How did you know?"

"Your coat," she said. "You all wear the same thing."

Roxas took a moment to reflect on how obvious this fact was, then he realized who the pink haired girl was. She was the one from the second match – Dorothy from Team MAR. Roxas, suddenly realizing that he was amongst the enemy, turned to leave.

"Oh no you don't!" Dorothy said, moving to cut him off. "I've got a few questions to ask you!"

Roxas considered summoning his Keyblades, but it didn't seem like Dorothy wanted to fight him.

"What kind of questions?" he asked, unsure of what to do.

"Who are you?" Dorothy demanded. "What's your name?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you that," Roxas said.

"Fine, then what's Organization XIII? Why are you here?"

Roxas tried to think of how he should answer. He was pretty sure that Saix – or most of the Organization, for that matter – wouldn't want him divulging their identities to the enemy.

"I can't tell you that," Roxas said, a little nervously. He was trying to avoid saying anything that would lead to a fight. Dorothy obviously wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"You're working with the Chess Pieces, right?"

Roxas, thinking that since both Axel and Xigbar had already fought on their side, it wouldn't hurt to answer, nodded. "Why are you working with them?"

"It's…complicated," Roxas said honestly.

"Well then explain it," Dorothy demanded.

"I can't really do that," Roxas said. "Saix doesn't even want me talking with you."

"Who's Saix?" a voice said. Roxas winced. He shouldn't have said that. He looked back over at the others, and it was at this moment that he noticed that the floating metal ball had a face, and not only that, but it was the one who had spoken.

"You…you can talk?" Roxas asked in disbelief.

"Of course I can talk!" the ball said irritably. "Now answer the question. Who's Saix!"

"He's…umm…" Roxas said, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation - fighting was looking more and more appealing as the conversation wore on. Roxas was relieved when the blond haired boy spoke.

"It was you," the boy said, and he seemed to be so angry that he could barely get the words out. "You beat Gaira…you tried to kill Snow!"

"Wait, no that wasn't me," Roxas said defensively. "I wasn't the one fighting."

"It doesn't matter," Ginta said. "You're still part of them. It was you're choice to join Organization XIII!"

"What's going on over here?"

Roxas looked over the blond haired boy's shoulder, where a blue haired girl was standing, looking curiously between the blond hair boy and him. She caught sight of Roxas' coat and her eyes narrowed.

"It's Organization XIII!" she said. "Are you guy's fighting? I'll help!"

"No, I don't want to fight," Roxas said quickly. She didn't look convinced, but Roxas noticed that she did seem to relax a bit.

Roxas suddenly remembered who she was – Snow, from the match in the Volcano Field – the one who Xigbar and tried to kill. Roxas noticed that she still had a few bandages on her arms and legs, but at least she was alive. Roxas felt the odd sensation of a rock rolling in his stomach again. He looked towards the ground – the longer he locked at her the worse the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach got.

"You look a lot younger then Xigbar," Dorothy said, resuming her interrogation. "Why did you even join them in the first place?"

"A boy your age shouldn't be involved in such a ruthless organization," Babbo lectured. "A true gentleman would never allow himself to be caught in such company. You should be ashamed!"

"It's not like I had much of a choice," Roxas said, his gaze still directed at the ground.

"There's always a choice," Babbo said grimly. Roxas shook his head. They didn't understand at all. The day that he was born…he wasn't even sure what was going on. He was just wandering around Twilight Town aimlessly. He didn't know where he was or who was around him. He didn't even know his own name. That was when he truly was a nobody.

But then Organization XIII came along. It all started when Xemnas gave him his name and took him back to The Castle That Never Was. Roxas can still remember standing in the middle of Where Nothing Gathers, with all of the other members looking down at him. Xemnas introduced him, and they accepted him.

Sure, some of the other members might get on his nerves, and he never was too close to a lot of them, but they did give him a home – and more importantly they gave him an identity…a purpose. And if he never joined, then he'd never have met Axel. The Organization couldn't be all bad, right? But then why wouldn't the rock in his stomach go away?

"Look…I'm sorry about what happened…" Roxas said. He finally looked back up from the ground and looked at each one in turn. Dorothy and the others still looked angry – except for the blond boy, who, after hearing the sincerity in Roxas' apology seemed to have relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry about your friends getting hurt. But I have friends in the Organization. We aren't all bad…"

Roxas turned to leave.

"Hey," the blond haired boy called. Roxas turned to face him. He was still frowning, but he didn't sound nearly as angry as before. "The name's Ginta," he said.

"I'm Roxas."

"If you ever want to change sides…it's never too late," Ginta said. Roxas nodded, and then headed back to the castle.

* * *

Saix stood, his arms outstretched as he basked in the moonlight. He closed his eyes and let its soothing warmth wash over him. He was very pleased to be out of the Training Gate and back out in the night – even if he was annoyed that Phantom had yet again postponed the next match.

"_Some last minute plans came up," _Phantom had told him, his normal odd grin on his face._ "Most of our members will be gone tomorrow, but I'm leaving behind a few Knights to make sure you don't cause trouble. Who knows, perhaps if you all behave I'll allow you to have two competitors for the next match!"_

Today turned out to be another wasted day, but at least tomorrow they'd finally be able to get back to the mission. He had made sure that the others had behaved while Phantom was gone – he was going to hold him to his promise of at least two fighters. No exceptions.

Saix heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't turn around. He knew who it was.

"I assume that this area is remote enough for you," he said.

"This should do fine," Zexion said, his voice cold. "I've been meaning to talk to you for awhile now."

Saix didn't say anything. He knew why Zexion had come and wished that he'd stop beating around the bush. He turned his attention back to the moon, and a sense of calm washed over him. Saix had the moon…he was in no hurry – Zexion could take all the time he needed. After a few minutes of silence Zexion spoke.

"This mission is a waste of time," Zexion said bluntly.

"We need to be patient," Saix said, gazing up at the moon. "The payoff will be well worth it."

"What payoff!" Zexion said, his voice raised.

Saix took a deep breath. "The number of hearts-"

"Stop fooling yourself," Zexion interrupted. Saix slowly turned around and glared at him. Zexion, however, was defiant. "MAR will not fall. There are far too many warriors here - and the Chess Pieces are showing an extraordinary resistance to the darkness in their hearts! If they were going to become Heartless they'd have done so already."

"Phantom will be the first to turn. Once he falls, the others will follow quickly."

"How can you not sense it?" Zexion said. "Phantom reeks of darkness – he's got more darkness in him then any complete being I've ever seen – yet he still hasn't become a Heartless! There's something odd about him, Saix. It's almost as though he can't turn… and even if he does we still have the whole Chess Piece Army to contend with."

"Why do you think I brought so many of us?" Saix said.

"That brings me to my next point," Zexion spat. "You've effectively crippled the Organization. There are far too few of us back at The World That Never Was to get any meaningful work done. The rest of us are trapped here."

"Lord Xemnas thought-"

"The only reason that The Superior agreed for so many of us to come is he thought that MAR's warrior from another world was the Keyblade's chosen one! Now that we know that Sora isn't here it is unnecessary for there to be so many of us. And that reminds me, why did you risk bringing Roxas along – especially if you had any reason to suspect that Sora was here?"

"I wanted him here to begin heart gathering as soon as possible," Saix explained.

"You fool!" Zexion said impatiently. "What would have happened if the two had met? What would The Superior think if Roxas merged with him? Sora's too unpredictable, we don't even know if we can control him yet – he'd be of no use to us. And if the two of them are in too close a proximity to each other Roxas will cease to exist. Then we'd be out a Keyblade wielder and be even farther from Kingdom Hearts!"

"Vexen is working on a solution to that problem – he just needs more time," Saix said, turning back to face the moon.

"That means that until he's finished his tests, you should be making sure that Roxas stays alive. We need him to finish Kingdom Hearts."

"We need this world, Zexion," Saix growled. "All of the other worlds are devoid of Heartless. If we were to spend any more time delaying we would never complete Kingdom Hearts. I'm tired of waiting."

Zexion shook his head. His voice was still condescending, but there was a note of pity in it.

"Even without a heart you still let it cloud your judgment. I warned you that this could happen. It was your overzealous heart gathering that got us here in the first place!" Saix heard him turn to leave.

"The Superior will not be pleased," Zexion said coldly. "I think that we are in need of new leadership, Saix. Perhaps there's a reason that you're number seven," he said, and with that ominous statement he left.

Saix listened until the echoes from Zexion's steps had completely died out. Then he brought his attention back to the moon.

* * *

_Okay, thanks for reading everyone. As you can tell I opted for duel-weild Roxas for this story - I just wanted to get the classic pre-Days Roxas. He's much more fun to write battles for._

_I do appreaciate any and all reviews!_

_Once again, I'm done with finals! ya! So expect an update soon!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello again, everyone. Sorry for the really, really, really late update. This chapter is my longest yet (I suggest making sure that you have a lot of time to read!), and I hope that everyone enjoys it! _

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* * *

_

Ginta tossed and turned, then after finally excepting that he wasn't going to get back to sleep, sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. His room was dark, but he'd been awake for so long that his eyes had adjusted. Ginta got up and strode over to the window. There was a faint orange aura at the horizon – it would be morning soon, so it would be pointless to try to get back to sleep anyway.

Ginta sighed, got dressed, and decided that he'd try to go get an early breakfast.

Ginta expected the castle to be deserted at this hour, but even in the early morning it was bustling with people hurrying about their daily duties.

Ginta passed by the Cross Guard sentries that were stationed at the end of the hall and trudged down a set of spiral stone steps. He had gotten used to the castle's many intricate passages by now. He barely had to pay attention to where he was going, which was a good thing since his mind was busy with other things at the moment.

In a few more hours he'd be fighting in the fifth match of the War Games. Originally he had expected this match to be a breeze – compared to the all out brawl he'd been in back in Kaldea, a regular one-on-one match would be easy. But then he'd remembered about Organization XIII, and worry started to creep back into his mind.

So far Team MAR hadn't had the best record against the Organization. Both Gaira and Snow were soundly beaten by their opponents – Snow was almost killed – and he had no reason to expect that the next matches would be any different. It was clear that the Organization wouldn't hesitate to kill any of them. Who would be next? Dorothy? Jack? They had been lucky so far, but how much longer?

Ginta's thoughts drifted back to the meeting that he had the other day with the young Organization member, Roxas. They were about the same age. If someone that young could join such a sinister group, what was stopping him? What could make someone that young be so evil? Ginta shook his head. No, Roxas wasn't evil. He had been sincere when he had apologized, and he seemed really penitent… He was misguided, perhaps, but not evil.

Ginta had finally reached the dining room. He pushed open the heavy wooden door and edged inside. He had expected the room to be empty, but he was surprised to see that he wasn't the first person awake.

Alan was staring out one of the many stained glass windows, lost in thought. He didn't even look over when the door snapped shut. Ginta strode over to where Alan was standing.

"Hey, what's up, old man?" Ginta said, slapping him on the back. Alan slowly turned around, and it seemed like it took a few moments for him to register who was talking to him.

"Oh, Ginta… you're up early," Alan grunted.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," Ginta said.

"Thinking about Organization XIII, right?" Alan said. Ginta was a little shocked.

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"You were really upset with what happened with Snow…" he said, glancing over his shoulder at him. "…and we've got another match today. I'd be surprised if you weren't worried about your friends."

"I don't even want to think about something like that happening again," Ginta said sadly. "I've just been playing out all these horrible scenarios…I barely slept at all last night."

Alan gave a hollow laugh. "War is constant worry – about yourself, your comrades, your cause… I'd tell you that you'll get used to it, but that's a lie."

Alan turned away from the window and walked towards a large wooden barrel that was propped up against the wall. He grabbed two tankards and filled them.

"So you're worried too?" Ginta said. He was surprised to hear Alan talk like this. He was always so stoic – Ginta thought that nothing ever fazed him. There must be more to Alan than meets the eye.

"I've been worrying for some time now," Alan said. "Ever since Gaira told me that he'd been defeated."

Alan turned from the barrel and strode over to one of the room's long wooden tables. He pulled out a seat and sat down wearily. Ginta took a seat on the other side of the table. Alan slid one of the tankards across the table to Ginta. Ginta caught it and peered inside – it was some of the nut drink that Alan and Edward were so fond of.

Alan took a long draught from his tankard before continuing.

"I've spent the past few nights in the castle's library. I went back over more than a hundred year's worth of documents, and I never found a single reference to Organization XIII. It's as though they popped out of nowhere."

"And Nanashi said that he'd never even heard of them," Ginta recalled. He took a sip from his drink – it was oddly sweet, with a hint of sour and plenty of bubbles. He didn't want to drink too much though – this stuff messed with his senses in large doses, and he wanted to make sure that he was at peak condition for the match – especially if he was going to be fighting someone from Organization XIII. "Maybe the Organization just recently joined the Chess Pieces?"

"I doubt that…" Alan said, propping his feet up on the table. He took another drink from his tankard. He wiped his mouth, then continued. "For one – none of them are ranked. Every Chess Pieces has a rank, and I've never heard of them making any exceptions. Even Phantom is ranked. Anyway, I think that they're arrival was just as shocking to most of the Chess Pieces as it was to us. Remember how shocked Pozan was after Gaira got beat? He was expecting someone else."

"Yeah, and before Snow's fight he had to ask what Xigbar's name was." Ginta said, thinking back. "He didn't even consider him a Chess Piece, remember? He had announced that Xigbar was fighting for Organization XIII, not the Chess Pieces."

"Exactly - which lead me to believe that they're completely separate from the Chess Pieces," Alan said. "And too be honest with you, that's one of the worse case scenarios."

"How so?" Ginta said, intrigued. "How does the Organization being separate make a difference? They're still allied with the Chess Pieces, and that makes them MAR's enemies. Besides being extra people to fight I don't see too much of a problem."

"The problem is that I'm not too sure what the Organization's main goal is…" Alan said, shifting himself so that he was sitting properly again. He looked serious. "I'm worried that we're going to have to fight on two fronts – against both the Chess Pieces and the Organization."

"Well then we'll just have to beat them both!" Ginta said enthusiastically.

"It isn't that simple…" Alan said. He looked tired and exasperated. "It's been six years…" he said quietly. "Six years since the last War Games…and after they were over we had to rebuild, and deal with the Chess Pieces that wouldn't give up. The truth is that everyone is exhausted," Alan said, in almost a pleading tone. "The Cross Guard is dwindling… there are fewer and fewer people willing to fight."

"Then we will fight!" Ginta shouted, determined to keep his spirits up. "I will fight! And so will Babbo, and Snow, and Jack, and Dorothy, and Alviss, and Nanashi! We'll keep fighting until we have peace!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Alan said, slamming his tankard down onto the table; some of the red juice sloshing out. "We fought a war – six year ago. Towns were razed; people lost their loved ones…they lost everything! And once it was finally over, and we had thought we had peace – we tried to move on. And then the second war started…" he said bitterly. "…and things look even more grim now than ever. People have lost everything – even their hope. Do you really think that they'll be willing to fight a third war? Once we've defeated the Chess Pieces, will the people of MAR be able to defeat Organization XIII?"

"…I will be…." Ginta said. He set down his almost full tankard of juice, got up from his chair and left.

Ginta spent the rest of the morning waiting in the castle's courtyard for the others. Ginta watched the sun rise over the distant mountains. Back in Japan he'd have been getting up for school right about now. Ginta wanted to go home badly, but he wasn't going to leave MAR until both the Chess Pieces and Organization XIII had been defeated.

It wasn't until an hour or so after the sun had risen that the rest of Team MAR began to rouse.

"Ginta, I'm surprised you're up before me," Babbo said as he bounced into the courtyard. "I hope that you got enough sleep – I don't want my squire being tired for our battle."

Ginta opened his mouth to retort, but then he heard a voice call out his name. Ginta spun around to look for who had called him.

A tall man in white robes was standing across the courtyard from him. He had a white mask that was sticking out its tongue, and he wore a silver earring – he was a Knight.

"A Chess Piece," Babbo shouted as he bounced over to Ginta. Ginta grasped Babbo's handle and got ready to fight. It looked like the match was going to be starting earlier then he expected.

"Hold on a minute there, Ginta," the Chess Piece said, holding up his hands. He slowly walked towards him and Babbo. "I just want to talk. My name's Ash."

"Why are you here?" Ginta asked, his eyes narrowed. He didn't trust Ash.

"I already told you, I just want to talk."

"What about?" Ginta snapped.

"About the match later today. I'm going to be fighting, and as Team MAR's captain I can assume that you will be participating as well?"

Ginta nodded.

"I know that this is rather unorthodox, but I was wondering if we might agree to be each other's opponents right now. I understand that the matchups are usually made on the spot during the battle, but I'd feel much more comfortable knowing that our doing battle is already guaranteed."

"Why do you want to fight me so badly?" Ginta asked.

"I have my reasons," Ash said. "I assume that you wouldn't want your friends Jack or Snow to have to go up against a Knight, correct? From what I've heard there are going to be two Bishops fighting as well. Snow and Jack are strong enough to beat Bishops – wouldn't you feel more comfortable knowing that your friends won't have to go up against a Knight like me?"

Ginta thought hard. Ash was right – he would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that his friends wouldn't be the one's going up against Knights. Jack and Snow were strong, no doubt about it, but Ginta couldn't help but keep thinking about Snow's last match, and how devastated he'd be if one of his friends did die. His mind then jumped to Organization XIII. What if they were fighting?

Babbo seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"It certainly is a dilemma," he said quietly. "Do we fight the devil before us, or the one that might be lurking in the shadows? Either way we take a risk…"

Ginta thought hard for a few more seconds before finally making up his mind.

"Fine, I'll fight you."

"Excellent!" Ash said cheerily. "Well, I better get back. The others won't be pleased – they all wanted to fight you themselves!" He then disappeared in a flash of light.

"I hope you made the right choice," Babbo said.

"Me too," Ginta said.

* * *

Roxas and the other Nobodies were once again waiting in Phantom's throne room for the next match to start.

True to his word, Phantom had allowed two of them to compete, and they had already discussed who'd get to fight in this round.

Saix had pulled everyone aside beforehand to reiterate the importance of their mission, and that, due to Phantom's orders, they must not kill Ginta or Snow. He went on to order that they avoid fighting against the two and instead focus their efforts on the opponents that they could kill.

Roxas was feeling relieved - since he hadn't been chosen to fight, he'd get to avoid having to kill someone – for this round, at least. But for how much longer?

"How much longer until your warriors get here?" Saix growled. Phantom had insisted that they wait until the other Chess Pieces had assembled before he would teleport them to the arena.

"They are down chatting with Ginta and his friends, at the moment," Phantom said, grinning. He had taken his usual seat in his throne, with Peta waiting patiently at his side. "You have been waiting over a hundred days for this match – surely a few more minutes won't kill you?"

Saix didn't respond. He simply walked over and leaned up against one of the stone pillars.

"Phantom, tell me - where is today's match going to take place?" Zexion asked, taking Saix's place in front of Phantom's throne.

"Even I don't know that," Phantom said. "We have to wait until the die are cast – only then will we know for sure."

Three bright lights suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, heralding the arrival of the Chess Pieces.

One of the Chess Pieces – the Knight called Ash – looked normal enough. The other two Chess Pieces were a bit of a surprise though. According to Phantom, they were the Chess Pieces' strongest Bishops, but Roxas doubted that they could be that difficult to defeat. Both of them were short – even shorter than Roxas was. One of them – the girl called Emokis – was overweight, with small beady eyes, and stubby arms and legs. She was wearing a white shirt, a yellow skirt and a small pink apron. The other – Hamelin – was wrapped in a brown cloak, and he had a large brimmed hat that hid most of his face.

"So, Phantom, we just need two more," Ash said with a slightly jovial tone. "You mentioned that the thief is going to meet us at the desert, but where's Candice?"

"I imagine that she's sulking in her room," Phantom said. "You see, she's been replaced. You have as well, Hamelin."

"What do you mean, Phantom?" Hamelin said bitterly. "You said that I'd be able to fight today."

"Both you and Candice have been replaced by two of our Nobody friends," Phantom said. He let out a small laugh. "But if you'd like to, I'm sure that you could challenge them for your right to do battle."

Roxas saw Hamelin's eyes dart over to where the Organization had assembled. It seemed that he didn't dare risk a fight with them, as he immediately disappeared in another burst of light.

"If everyone is prepared," Peta said. "The battle location has been determined. To the Desert Field!"

* * *

Ginta felt the familiar sensation of being teleported, and in the blink of an eye he was looking out across a vast expanse of desert. He was immediately engulfed in heat from the hot sun overhead.

"It's weird being back," Nanashi said, staring out across the endless expanse of sand dunes. Both Nanashi and Snow had already done battle here during the second match. Ginta and Jack had been training in Gaira's Training Gate, while Alviss had decided to sit that battle out. Now Ginta was going to have his chance.

"They're here," Alviss said, gesturing over across the desert, where four figures had appeared. Ginta's heart skipped a beat. Two Organization members were standing next to the other two Chess Pieces. This meant that even if Ginta was to take on one of them, one of his friends would still be left with the other. The nervousness that he had felt this morning came rushing back, and it didn't help that Pozan was already calling out for the first battle's participants.

"I'll go first!" Snow shouted excitedly. She seemed quite happy, seeing as how her last match ended with her almost dying.

Ginta opened his mouth to say something to her, but she had already crossed to the center of the field. He was extremely relieved to see that neither of the Organization members had moved from their spots, and since the Knight Ash was intent on battling Ginta, that only left the youngest (and largest) Chess Piece.

"The first round will be between the Bishop, Emokis of the Chess Pieces versus Snow of Team MAR! Begin!"

Emokis reached into the pocket of her apron. Ginta was sure that she was looking for an ARM, but when she removed her hand she was clutching a handful of cookies, which she promptly began to eat.

"What gives?" Ginta said, slightly dumbfounded. "She's eating during her match? Is she not taking the fight seriously?"

"Remember what Phantom said," Alviss remarked. "Emokis is a Bishop, but she's extremely close to Knight rank. I think that Snow is going to have her work cut out for her."

Snow, who initially looked quite confused at Emokis' priorities, was getting impatient. "Let's go, Emokis! Summon an ARM!"

A large plume of sand suddenly erupted next to Emokis. Once the dust had cleared Ginta could see that she had summoned a giant sword that had stuck itself in the sand next to her. Snow eyed it apprehensively.

"Magic Sword, Dandarshi…" she said. "Who's the most beautiful girl here?"

Ginta listened with disbelief as the sword responded. "You are, of course," the sword said.

Ginta looked back over at the sword, and realized that he had overlooked the large porcelain face engraved on the hilt. "I'm definitely more beautiful than that pig over there, correct?" Emokis said, pointing at Snow.

"Indeed, you are," the sword said.

"Well, then I guess it's time that I proved it," Emokis said. There was a sudden puff of smoke over her shoulder, revealing a large, pink flower.

You've got to be joking," Jack said. "She's going to attack with a flower?"

Emokis swiped the flower from midair and grasped one of the petals.

"Ugly," she said, plucking a petal from the flower. Snow gave a shout of pain and grabbed her head. "Pretty," Emokis said, plucking another petal and causing Snow to wince in pain. "Ugly…pretty…ugly…" Emokis said in a bored voice, each time plucking a petal and causing Snow to shout in pain.

"My hair!" Snow shouted as she clutched at her head. "She's pulling out my hair!"

"That's her attack?" Jack said, raising an eyebrow. "It's kind of stupid."

"Yeah, what's the point?" Ginta said. "I mean, it's annoying, but that's about it."

"You obviously have no clue about girls, do you?" Nanashi said, shaking his head.

Emokis finally plucked the final petal. "You're ugly!" she said, and Snow was suddenly engulfed in a large explosion.

"Snow!" Ginta shouted.

The smoke cleared, revealing a hurt but not defeated Snow, who despite just being attacked, looked fairly placid – in fact, she was smiling.

"Emokis is going to get it now," Nanashi said, smiling. "Snow's angry."

"She look's okay to me," Jack said. "How do you know?"

"I've had a lot of experience with angry women," Nanashi said. "And despite how she looks on the outside, she's fuming on the inside!"

"Nature ARM, Iced Earth!" Snow shouted, brushing her hip. A flurry of icicles shot from her palm, heading straight towards Emokis. Emokis, however, attempted to dance out of the way, and even though Ginta thought that it looked less like she was dancing and more like she was convulsing, she was still able to dodge all of Snow's attack.

"You'll never be able to hit a beautiful girl like me," Emokis said as she munched on another cookie. "Right, Dondarshi?" Her giant sword landed next to her.

"Of course, master," the sword said, with a note of exhasperation in its voice. Emokis looked sideways at the sword, frowning. She then held out her hand, and Dondarshi shrunk down to a more manageable (but still massive) size.

Emokis lunged at Snow, catching her by surprise. Snow was barely able to dodge Emokis' furious serious of stabs.

"Yuki-chan!" Snow shouted, summoning her giant snowman, which landed directly on top of Emokis.

"Way to go, Snow!" Ginta shouted, convinced that Snow had won. That was until he saw the giant snowman slowly begin to lift into the air. Ginta could barely make out the shape of Emokis underneath as she lifted it off of her.

"That's one strong girl," Jack said in disbelief.

Emokis slashed with her sword, slicing Yuki-chan in two.

"Is that all?" Emokis said. "I'm not surprised that a girl like you would be so weak. Why are you even wasting my time? It's time you showed me a little respect!" She plunged her hand back into her pocket and pulled out a large chain.

"Candy House!" she shouted, throwing it into the air. The ARM shown bright and transformed into a gigantic gingerbread house, which landed on the ground with a large crash. Emokis grabbed a large chunk from the house and began to eat.

"This has got to be the weirdest fight I've ever seen," Babbo said in a slightly disgusted voice.

"Emokis, this isn't the time to eat!" Snow shouted impatiently. "Let's fight!"

Emokis payed her no attention as she tore another large chunk of off the house and munched away. Was it just Ginta's imagination, or was Emokis getting larger?

"Snow, you've got to attack!" Alviss said in a slightly panicked voice. "That house is increasing her magical power – you can't let her eat anymore of it!"

Snow nodded and summed her ice sword. She ran towards Emokis, who leapt out of the way and back over towards her sword.

"Why can't this ugly girl let me finish my meal in peace?" Emokis asked. Dondarshi, however, appeared to have had enough.

"Don't call Snow ugly!" it said. "She is far more beautiful than you!"

It was clear that it had gone too far, and in a matter of seconds it shattered into a million pieces from a single punch from Emokis. That house really did make her stronger!

"That's enough!" Emokis said, running back over to the house and ripping off more chunks. She ate as quickly as she could, and before long she was at least ten feet tall and much larger than before.

"This isn't good," Alviss said. "Her magical power has increased twenty fold – Snow needs a big attack, or else she's done for."

Snow, however, seemed relatively unperturbed, despite Alviss' worries. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver ring.

"Guardian ARM, Undine!" she said. The ring shown with light, and the ring transformed into a water nymph that floated next to Snow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Snow," Undine said kindly. "I'm here to help you in battle. Is that your opponent?"

Snow nodded. "Yes, that's Emokis."

"Would you like me to kill her?" Undine asked politely. Snow shook her head furiously.

"No, I want you to only knock her unconscious!"

"As you wish, Snow."

Emokis, meanwhile, and been furiously eating the rest of the house, and had now grown to such large proportions that she was able to lift a massive boulder with ease.

"Aqua Needles!" Undine said, and a flurry of liquid needles shot from her hand and shattered the boulder. Emokis looked furious. She opened he mouth to yell, but just then Undine snapped her fingers, and a large bubble of water appeared around Emokis' head.

A stream of bubbles erupted from Emokis' mouth, but her shouts were muffled by the water.

"I'm going to let you surrender, Emokis!" Snow shouted. "Just hold up two fingers and we'll let you go!"

Emokis was clearly not ready to surrender, and more bubbles erupted from her mouth as she roared again, but the lack of oxygen was beginning to take its toll. Her eyes were bulging slightly, and she was slowly sinking to her knees.

"Please, surrender!" Snow pleaded. Emokis roared again, then her eyes closed and she toppled to the ground with a mighty thud. Undine snapped her fingers again, and the ball of water dispersed.

"I released her just after she passed out," Undine assured Snow. "She'll be alright."

"The winner is, Snow!" Pozan shouted. The Chess Piece Ash walked over and dragged Emokis (who had shrunk back down to normal) back over to their side.

"Poor thing, only a child…" he said sadly.

"I hope to see you soon, Snow," Undine said before she transformed back into a ring.

"I won!" Snow shouted happily as she ran back over to the group.

"Way to go!" Ginta said, relieved that Snow was unharmed.

"Amazing, Snow!" Babbo said. "You didn't even get a scratch! You've definitely grown stronger!"

"Thank's, Babbo!" Snow said, smiling.

"It's time for the second battle," Pozan announced. Who's up next?"

* * *

It was time for the second battle, and Jack walked confidently into the middle of the Desert Field. Emboldened by Snow's success, he felt like he shouldn't have any problem winning in his battle. That was until he saw who his opponent was.

Jack swallowed as the black coated figure strode into the middle of the desert. Jack had been scared that this was going to happen – as soon as he saw that there were two Organization members fighting in this match he had a sinking feeling that he was going to have to face one of them.

Compared to the other member of the Organization, this one was taller, and he assumed an upright posture. He got into position and lowered his hood. He sported short cut blond hair and a blond goatee, and he was wearing a rather mischievous grin.

"The third battle of the fifth match will be between Jack of Team MAR and Luxord, of Organization XIII!" Pozan shouted. He was grinning, and was apparently eager to see the next battle. "Begin!"

Luxord stood calmly across from Jack, studying him. Jack didn't move. He knew that he should do something, but he was worried about exactly what powers Luxord had – Xigbar had started his battle the same way, and he ended up being terrifyingly strong… Jack jumped as Luxord flourished his right hand, fanning out numerous black and white playing cards.

"How about a game?" he said, the mischievous grin still on his face. Jack was taken aback. He had expected a brutal attack of some sort, but Luxord didn't seem too eager for a direct brawl. He was now shuffling his cards.

"This isn't a time to joke around," Jack said, trying to sound more confident then he really did - he wasn't very successful. "Everyone else is depending on me. I won't lose!"

Luxord bowed slightly.

"You seem to be taking this quite seriously. I apologize for being so flippant," he said. "I just find these battles to be so tedious. I'd like it if we could change the house rules for this one. Agreed?"

Jack wasn't quite sure what Luxord meant.

"I…guess…" he said slowly.

"Perfect," Luxord said slyly. "Time to ante up," he said, and his hand suddenly snapped forward as he flung his cards at Jack. Jack jumped back again as the cards, which had grown to many times their original size, began to circle rapidly around him. He wasn't quite sure what was going on – all he could see was a blur of black and white, and he couldn't feel anything other than the heavy wind from the cards.

Jack was beginning to wonder when the attack was going to actually begin, when the massive cards suddenly dispersed, shrinking back down to their normal size and flying back into Luxord's outstretched hand.

"What was that all about?" Jack said, as he checked himself for any wounds. It appeared as though Luxord's attack hadn't done anything – he was completely unscathed. But if the attack hadn't worked, why was Luxord looking so smug?

"Jack, what are you waiting for?" Babbo shouted. "He's not even doing anything! Now's your chance!"

Jack suddenly snapped back to his senses.

"Weapon ARM, Shovel!" he shouted, stretching out his arm. He held out his hand, waiting for the familiar cool steel of his trusty weapon, but it never came. Jack glanced over at his empty hand. " Shovel!" he shouted again, a little more panicked this time. Once again he was left empty handed and looking slightly foolish. "What's going on?" He said. He then realized that something was missing from his arm – the silver bracelet ARM that was his Battle Shovel was gone. Panicked, he began to furiously search his clothes for the rest of his weapons, his heart beating rapidly as he realized that every one of his weapons – even his mushrooms – were gone. "Where are all of my

ARM?" he shouted.

"Not to worry, Jack. It's all part of the game," Luxord said.

"What game are you talking about!" Jack said exasperatedly.

Luxord flourished his hand again, and some more of his cards flew out, expanding to many times their normal size. But instead of surrounding Jack they spread themselves out into a neat line in front of Luxord.

"The rules of this game are a little bit more complex then you're used to," he said, and with a wave of his hand the cards flipped over to reveal their faces. Jack noticed that six of them had pictures of his Battle Shovel, mushrooms, seeds, magic stones, and two of the ARM that he had received from Kaldia printed on them. Two of the others had large red and orange stars printed on them, while the last card had a vaguely heart shaped silver emblem on it.

"All of your weapons and equipment have been encased in a card," Luxord explained. He waved his hand again and the cards flipped back over and began to swirl around, shuffling themselves. "As you no doubt have surmised, there are a few extras thrown into the deck," he said as the cards stacked.

"What do I have to do?" Jack said nervously. He couldn't help but wonder what sadistic tricks Luxord had in mind.

"It's really very simple," Luxord said. He made a cutting motion with his hand, and the deck of cards cut themselves. Jack, who had been trying to keep track of the card with his Battle Shovel, sighed as it was lost in the deck.

"I've come up with a few games for us to play," Luxord said. "If you win, then I'll allow you to choose a card – you'll receive whatever is contained within that card. But a word of warning… not all of them are good," he said, grinning.

"So what if I lose one of the games?" Jack said apprehensively.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Luxord said with a slightly evil grin.

"How do I know that you'll play fair?" Jack said. Luxord looked insulted.

"What's the point of a game if all you're going to do is cheat?" he said, frowning.

"Perhaps you two would like to get a move on?" Ash said. "We don't have all day here, and I'd rather not die of heat stroke before my match with Ginta!"

"Wait, how am I supposed to fight?" Jack said quickly. "He's taken all of my weapons!"

"The battle has already officially started," Pozan said happily. "His technique is all part of the fight. You'll just have to make due."

"Not to worry, Jack," Luxord said. "I'll start you off with an easy task." Luxord tossed out two cards, which grew to their man-sized forms. They spun on their edges as they circled him menacingly.

"Defeat my two cards," Luxord said. "If you succeed, you'll win a prize."

Jack took a few steps backwards, his eyes darting furiously between the two life-sized cards. He knew that he was strong enough – he and Ginta had been training in the Training Gate on three separate occasions, and each time he had emerged stronger than ever. In his last match he was easily able to defeat a Bishop – but then why was he so terrified of Luxord?

Jack remembered what Alan had said the other day – that the fighters in Organization XIII were at least at the Knight level. Jack doubted that he'd have been able to beat a Knight even if he had all of his ARM – there was no way that he'd be able to win bare handed.

"Come on Jack, they're just some stupid cards!" Ginta shouted. "You can do this easy!"

"Yeah, just give them the old one-two," Nanashi said, punching the air with his fists.

Jack felt some of his fear ebb a bit. He was really glad that he had his friends here to back him up.

"I guess I'll make the first move," Luxord said impatiently. "Attack!" he shouted, and the two giant cards spun towards him. Jack easily dodged the first one – he could see it moving in slow motion as it went spinning by. He spun around and ducked underneath the second one; he could feel it graze his hair as it sailed over his head.

"Easy!" Jack shouted, feeling a bit more confident now. The two cards reversed directions and were closing in for a second attack. Jack leaned back as the first card whizzed by. He followed through with a punch, which sent the card spinning erratically into the sand.

"Yeah – you're not so tough, are you, you stupid card?"

"Jack, behind you!" Snow cried. Jack spun around, and had just enough time to bring his arms up to protect his face as the second card attacked. Jack winced as the card sliced into his forearms – the edges were extremely sharp, and the cuts felt really deep. The card began spinning and cutting into his arms even further – Jack could barely withstand the pain. He pushed as hard as he could, and the card spun off in the other direction. He glanced at his forearms – there were deep cuts in them, and they were already bleeding heavily.

"Their edges…they're like razors!" Jack said, staring wide eyed at the blood dripping down and staining the golden sand red.

"This is a battle after all," Luxord said smoothly. "Did you really expect me to hold back?"

"Pay attention, Jack!" Babbo shouted. "They're coming around for another attack!"

Jack's eyes snapped back to the two cards that had each spun off in opposite directions, and were now arcing towards him.

"They're using a pincer maneuver!" Alviss shouted. "Get out of there!"

Jack couldn't keep running – all it would do is tire him out, and he was pretty sure that he was going to need to conserve his strength for the rest of the battle. No, he had a different idea to deal with these cards.

Jack turned his head from side to side. He couldn't keep this up – the cards were too sharp, and punches could only do so much. He needed precise timing to make sure that his plan worked. If he was too early, the cards could change course, and if he was too late…well then there would be two of him.

The cards were now so close that his head was in constant motion as he tried to keep them in view. He waited until he could see the blur of white and black in his peripherals before diving backwards into the hot sand. He landed hard – his arms ached from where the sand had been forced into his cuts – but he couldn't rest. He rolled over onto his back, just in time to see the two cards collide – one of them slicing clean through the other.

Jack saw his chance. He quickly scrambled to the halved card. He got to his feet, each hand clutching one half of the bisected card.

"What an interesting counter," Luxord said, grinning. "You've turned my own attacks against me. You certainly are a worthy opponent."

"You bet I am!" Jack said, much more confident now that he had a weapon. He turned to face the other card, which was blindly coming in for another attack. Jack slashed with the cards that he was holding. The second card was finally defeated, the once deadly card now gently floating to the ground.

"Congratulations," Luxord said, holding out his hand. The two card halves slipped between Jack's fingers as they, along with the remnants of the second card, repaired themselves, shrunk back to their normal size, then flew back into Luxord's hand.

"As promised," Luxord said. He waved his hand, and the deck of cards that held Jack's ARM spread out in a neat line in front of him. "Choose wisely," Luxord said, a mischievous grin on his face.

Jack hesitated as he tried to decide which card to choose. He really wanted to get his Battle Shovel back… but he couldn't decide which card was hiding it. Each of the nine cards were exactly the same – they had no identifying marks, and Jack knew that he could just as easily pick something useless – like his mushrooms. Of course, that was assuming that he avoided one of Luxord's traps.

"Hurry up and choose one, Jack!" Ginta shouted. "I don't think Luxord's going to wait forever!"

Jack glanced over at Luxord, who was smiling as he absentmindedly shuffled his cards.

"To the contrary - please, take all the time that you require," Luxord said. He seemed to be enjoying Jack's bewilderment.

"Oh, pick the one in the middle!" Snow suggested.

"I hate to disagree with you Princess, but that is exactly what Luxord is expecting!" Babbo said. "A wise person would choose the one on the far left!"

"No, Jack, pick the one on the right!" Ginta shouted. "That's your Battle Shovel, I'm sure of it!"

"Would everyone stop trying to give him advice?" Alviss said impatiently. "Besides, he obviously should pick the third card."

Jack didn't know who to listen to, and it didn't help that even some of the Chess Pieces were now shouting out instructions.

"No not that one!" Ash shouted when Jack nudged one of the cards with his foot. "The one on the right…no, the other right!"

"Would everyone shut up?" Jack shouted. He glanced over the cards one more time, then picked one at random. "I choose this one," he said. Luxord stretched out his hand, and the other cards returned to him.

"Let's see how lucky you are, Jack," Luxord said.

Jack bent down, his fingers hovering over the card. He hesitated, and then flipped the card over. His heart sank. It wasn't one of Luxord's traps, but it wasn't his Battle Shovel either. He bent over and scooped up his magic seeds, the card that contained them returning to Luxord.

"It appears that, regrettably, you don't have a talent for luck," Luxord said. "A shame…"

Jack thrust the seeds into his pocket. He was beginning to feel the nervousness creeping back – he got lucky this first time around. How long is he going to be able to fight without a weapon?

"On to the next game," Luxord said. He fanned out his cards and selected one. He held it up for Jack to see, and then he threw it up in the air. Jack took a step back as the card spun rapidly and grew in size. It hovered over Luxord's head, and after a few moments it began to slow, and Jack could see what was on the card face – it was a clock. Luxord snapped his fingers, and the minute hand rotated twice.

"Two minutes…" Luxord said, holding up two fingers. "That's how long this next game will last – assuming that your able to play the game well."

"What's the game?" Jack said nervously.

"Patience, Jack. First I must set up the board."

Luxord plucked out two more cards from his hand. He dropped one on the ground next to him, and the other he tossed at Jack. The card grew to its large size before landing at his feet. The card that Luxord had kept had grown as well, and was now standing on edge next to him.

"What are these for?" Jack said, eyeing the card suspiciously. He was beginning to realize that when facing Organization XIII, even something as simple as a playing card was dangerous.

"You'll see," Luxord said. He then turned, faced the card, and to everyone's surprise, proceeded to stepped into it. The card spun around once then fell to the ground.

"What! Where'd he go?" Jack shouted. He scanned the field for any sign of Luxord – but he was gone. The only thing left of him was the clock-card, the card he had stepped into and the one at Jack's feet.

The card at Jack's feet suddenly snapped upright. Imprinted on its face was Luxord, who was grinning maliciously.

"I'm right here, Jack," he said, and he peeled his arm away from the card. There was a puff of grey smoke as many tendrils of white and black shot from his hand; Jack didn't have enough time to dodge. The tendrils hit him in the chest – they felt like knives. Jack's eyes snapped shut from the pain, his senses flooded with agony as the tendrils began to snake around his torso and up his neck. They coiled down his arms and legs - it felt like they were compressing him; his legs caved into his chest, and his arms were pressed tightly against his side.

Jack couldn't move and he could barely breathe. He was sure that he was going to die. He had barely lasted ten minutes… But just when he thought he was done for the tendrils relaxed. He could feel them retract back to his chest – but for some reason he still couldn't move his arms or legs.

The pain had receded enough that he could open his eyes.

The grey smoke was beginning to clear, and Jack noticed that Luxord had moved back underneath the clock-card. Jack was shocked that he hadn't taken the opportunity to attack him. His card-teleportation was impressive, and it seemed odd that he hadn't taken the chance to completely annihilate Jack – and what was with those tendrils? Sure they hurt, but they were gone now, and they hadn't seemed to have done any damage. Of course, the last time he had thought that Luxord's attack hadn't done anything, he'd lost all of his ARM. What was he playing at this time?

The smoke had finally dissipated, and when it had Jack heard a high pitched scream.

"Jack, your body!" Snow shouted.

"What!" Jack said, panic rising in his chest again. He tried to tilt his head down to look, but his neck seemed oddly stiff. Now that he thought about it, he was having trouble moving any part of his body. "Ginta, what did he do to me? I can't see!" Jack shouted.

"He…" Ginta stammered. "Well…he…"

"See for yourself," Luxord said. The card closest to Jack snapped upright again, but this time its face was reflective. Jack gazed up to where his head would normally be, but there was nothing there. His eyes continued down the mirror, and it was only when he was looking at where his knees should have been that he realized what had happened - Luxord had transformed him into a large white die.

"How did you…?" he shouted, dumbfounded. The mirror card flopped back to the ground.

"It's all part of the game," Luxord said. "Would you like to hear the rules?"

"I want you to turn me back to normal!" Jack spat. He was tired of always being the one who changed forms – his first experience being when Alviss had transformed him into a bird. But at least then Ginta had done all the fighting. How was he supposed to beat Luxord like this?

"I will return you to your normal form after the game," Luxord said. "Assuming you survive, of course."

Jack attempted to move (what he thought) where his arms and legs, but all his struggling did was cause him to roll over onto his side. Realizing that the only way to get back to normal was to cooperate, he bounced back upright and glared at Luxord.

"Like I mentioned before, this game has a time limit," Luxord explained, gesturing to the clock-card. If you're still alive at the end of the game, I'll return you to normal."

"What's the catch?" Jack spat.

"There is no catch, only rules," Luxord said. "The game will start with a base time of two minutes. Every time I hit you with an attack, fifteen seconds will be added to the timer – assuming that my attack doesn't kill you, of course.

"That doesn't seem very fair!" Jack said, hopping indignantly. He lost his balance and rolled face down into the sand. It took him a few moments to hop back upright. "This stupid game could last forever!"

"This rule also goes both ways. For each instance that you are able to hit me, fifteen seconds will be removed from the clock. Flee or attack, I leave the strategy up to you. Understand?"

"I guess," Jack said. He shifted his weight and balanced on one of his points - he was beginning to get the hang of moving around in this form – maybe he actually did have a chance.

"Begin," Luxord said, snapping his fingers. Luxord stepped forward and disappeared into the card that he had left on the ground. The card nearest Jack snapped upright again and Luxord calmly stepped out.

Jack was barely able to bounce out of the way as a flurry of razor sharp playing cards shot from Luxord's hand. Jack rolled and bounced through the sand in what he hoped was the direction away from Luxord – he was only able to get small flashes of him as he tried to regain his balance. After a few seconds he stopped rolling and was able to right himself, only to have to hop sideways as Luxord sent another stream of cards his way.

"Come on, Jack!" Ginta cheered. "Keep dodging him! You've only got…wow…it's only been ten seconds…"

"What!" Jack shouted as he rolled out of the way of another attack. Luxord was very quick on his feet, and he had been keeping Jack so busy that he hadn't had any time to look over at the clock. Jack hazard a glance over at the clock-card – Ginta was right, only ten seconds had passed. Jack suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side as one of Luxord's attacks finally connected. Jack was thrown backwards from the force of the attack; he landed in the sand and rolled several feet before finally coming to rest on his side.

"Remember, Jack – you're playing both me and the clock," Luxord said as he riffled his cards. Jack glanced back over at the clock, and to his dismay it had winded itself back fifteen seconds – he was now worse off than when he'd started.

"Don't worry about the clock, Jack!" Alviss instructed. "Just stay focused on dodging! You'll never win if he keeps adding time!"

"Easy for you to say!" Jack shouted back angrily. "You don't have to bounce around in the sand!" Jack flipped himself upright, only to have to bounce sideways again as Luxord sent out another flurry of cards.

Jack spit out a mouthful of sand as he flipped upright again. "I've got to get some time off that clock," Jack muttered to himself. He waited until Luxord had moved directly in front of him before he tried his plan. As soon as Luxord threw more of his cards, Jack dove sideways, landing on his point. He rolled on his edges as he pivoted around Luxord. As soon as he was behind him he bounced up, hitting Luxord square in the back.

Luxord was caught off guard by Jack's attack, and he stumbled forward, giving Jack enough time to look back over at the clock – whose second hand had jumped forward fifteen seconds – which after Luxord's penalty meant that close to twenty seconds had ticked off.

"Keep it up, Jack!" Snow encouraged. "Don't let him get the upper hand!"

Jack knew that he needed to press the assault. Luxord was still trying to recover from Jack's attack – it was the perfect opportunity to knock a huge chunk of time off of the clock. Jack lurched forward, aiming to keep Luxord knocked onto the ground for as long as possible.

Just as Jack was about to hit him, Luxord twisted around and swiped his hand, leaving behind a barrier of his extra-large cards. Jack ricocheted off, but he quickly was able to recover. He glanced back over at the clock – luckily it hadn't counted Luxord's block as a hit. Five more seconds had ticked off.

Luxord looked slightly flustered as he got to his feet, but he quickly regained his sophisticated demeanor.

"Bravo, Jack!" he said, brushing sand off of his coat. "I suppose I'm going to have to give it my all now."

Jack, who had been feeling much more confident, felt crestfallen.

"You mean you weren't even trying!"

"It's never wise go all out at the start of a game," Luxord said, grinning. "Your opponent will be able to figure out your strategy."

His hand snapped forwards as he threw out more of his large cards, which spread themselves out in a circle on the ground around Jack.

Jack knew what was coming, and he switched to balancing on a point so that he could react.

Luxord stepped forward and disappeared in one of his cards. Jack, anticipating Luxord's attack, spun around, and sure enough Luxord reappeared in one of the cards that had been behind him.

Luxord threw another flurry of cards, which Jack easily dodged. Luxord disappeared again, reappearing at Jack's side. Jack rolled along his edges as he dodged a shotgun blast of cards. Jack bounced to Luxord's side and lunged, but just before he was about to hit him Luxord stepped back into one of his cards, reappearing from another.

Jack knew that he couldn't keep this up; he was breathing heavily, and his reactions were getting slower. To make matters worse he was having trouble keeping track of Luxord, and even though Luxord hadn't been able to hit him again, it was only a matter of time. Jack needed to get out of Luxord's circle of cards, but every time he tried to bounce out, Luxord would appear from the card in front of him, forcing Jack to dodge another attack.

"I need some room!" Jack shouted. He rolled back into the middle of the circle and balance on his point.

"Got you," Luxord said, throwing out some more cards. Jack felt one of the cards graze his side – he grimaced at both the pain and the time penalty that he knew he faced, but this was his only option.

"Back off!" Jack shouted, and he began to spin rapidly on his point, kicking up a large amount of sand and shielding him from view. He could feel more cards wiz by him, but luckily none of them hit.

Jack was beginning to lose control of his spin; as soon as he began to lose his balance he threw all of his weight backwards, launching him from the circle and leaving a thick cloud of dust in his wake.

Jack bounced and rolled across the hot desert sand before finally skidding to a stop.

All of his muscles were burning from exhaustion, but he knew that he didn't have time to rest. He hopped back upright and, despite the intense urge he felt to glance at the clock, kept his eyes focused on the cloud of dust that was beginning to clear.

"That was a cheeky move," Luxord said, coughing slightly from the dust. "Effective…but bloody cheeky…"

"It worked, didn't it?" Jack said, grinning slightly as he allowed himself a glance at the clock – only fifteen seconds to go.

"I suppose it did," Luxord said as he collected the cards that he had scattered. "But I don't have any time to waste admiring your ingenuity."

Luxord extended both of his arms, a massive burst of cards shooting from each hand.

Jack new that he was done for; there was no way that he'd be able to dodge this attack… and with the sheer number of cards heading his way, it would add at least five minutes to the clock – assuming that he survived, which was looking doubtful.

Jack noticed something in his peripherals – a small strip of white sticking out from the yellow sand, and he suddenly realized – it was the card that Luxord had teleported to when he had changed Jack into a die. It must have gotten buried during the fight.

It was his only hope. Jack jumped onto the card and spun around, kicking off the sand that had buried it. He could see glimpses of Luxord's card storm getting closer and closer. He hoped that his plan would work.

He stopped spinning and jumped onto the middle of the card. He closed his eyes… he felt an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. He half opened one of his eyes - he was staring across the desert as Luxord's attack impacted where he had been only moments before.

A loud bell rang out across the desert as the clock counted to zero. Jack suddenly felt the pressure that had kept his arms and legs pinned to his body release. He looked down at himself – he had been transformed back into his normal form!

"Finally!" he shouted, stretching out his neck. "That stupid die gave me a cramp!"

"That a boy, Jack!" Babbo shouted across the field. "I knew you could do it!"

"What a wonderful idea, Jack – using Luxord's card against himself!" Snow shouted.

Jack gave them a thumbs up. He was ecstatic that he had won the game, and was very relived to be back to normal. At least now he could fight at his full abilities – assuming that he was able to choose something useful from Luxord's lineup.

"Congratulations," Luxord said, clapping his hands together. He looked slightly flabbergasted that Jack had won, but he nevertheless tossed out the eight cards that held the rest of his ARM. "Let's hope that you choose a useful prize, Jack. You won't be lucky enough to have me lose track of my cards again."

Jack only took a few moments to pick this time; he stooped down and overturned one of the cards – and his heart sank. He had chosen the card that had hidden his magic stones that Dorothy had given him. The stones were powerful, but without his Battle Shovel to channel the magic through, he doubted that he'd be able to make any use of them. He plucked them from the card and stuffed them into his pocket, next to his useless beans.

"You certainly do seem barren of any luck at all," Luxord said, grinning again, but instead of collecting up the remaining seven cards, he left them on the ground. "However, I am feeling charitable today, and you're performance in my last game has impressed me enough that I am willing to allow you the opportunity to gain another card."

"Really?" Jack said suspiciously. Somehow this seemed too good to be true.

Of course," Luxord said, gesturing at the cards. "Please, select a card. And be sure to choose wisely this time."

Jack scanned over the cards once again. His eyes lingered for a moment on the card on the far right.

"I choose this one," he said, moving towards it, but before he could get to it, it flew back into Luxord's outstretched hand. Luxord smiled as he shuffled it into his deck.

"Hey, what gives?" Jack shouted indignantly. "You said that I'd get another card!"

"To the contrary, I only claimed that you would have the opportunity to gain another card. I never said when you would get to use the card," Luxord said.

"What do you mean?" Jack said. He had a feeling that Luxord was going to explain the rules for his next game, and he couldn't help but wonder what he had up his sleeve.

"My next game will give you the opportunity to regain whatever was hidden in that card. I was so impressed by your observational skills from the last game that I decided to put them to the test."

Luxord's hand suddenly snapped forward, and the cards that he was shuffling grew in size and scattered themselves on the sand. One of the giant cards was standing idly next to Luxord.

"All that you must do to win this game is discover the card that I am hidden in," Luxord explained. He plucked another card from his deck and showed it to Jack. "You remember my clock?" The card grew to many times its size, revealing its large clock face. "As in the last game, time is your enemy. If, in three minutes," he said, snapping his fingers and causing the clock–card to set itself. "You are unable to discover me, you will lose this game. All you must do is touch the card I have concealed myself in within the time limit to win."

"Sounds simple enough," Jack said, happy that he'd get to remain in his human form for this game. And by the sound of it, he wouldn't even have to fight.

Luxord stepped into the card that was standing next to him, and it flopped face down onto the ground. It, as well as all of the other cards, began to rapidly swirl around in the sand. Jack tried to keep his eye on the one concealing Luxord, but the cards kept moving and criss-crossing so fast that he soon lost sight of him. But, he had three minutes to find him – that was plenty of time. The cards snapped upright and began to strafe in circles around him. Jack noticed that each face had a roman numeral on it – ranging from one to thirteen.

"Begin," Luxord's voice came from the mass of cards, and the clock began to tick away.

Almost immediately Jack was bombarded by shouts from his teammates, instructing him which card to select.

"The one on your left, Jack!" Ginta shouted. "Well, he's on your right now…"

"No, he's behind you!" Nanashi said. "I'm pointing at him, you can't miss it!"

"Don't just stand there, Jack! Pick one!" Babbo shouted.

"Jack, wait!" Alviss instructed. "Don't go for Luxord just yet!"

"Why not?" Jack shouted over his shoulder, his eyes darting from card to card.

"Try and find your ARM first, you're going to need it!"

Jack nodded in agreement, but he didn't see what good the advice would do. He hadn't seen which card Luxord had gone into and he had no idea which one held his ARM. His odds of picking his ARM were the exact same as his odds of picking Luxord, and knowing Luxord there were probably a few traps hidden within the other cards – he had better be sure that he was picking the right card.

That's when he noticed something. Every few seconds the cards' faces would flash, revealing what was concealed in side of them. He hadn't noticed it initially because most of the cards would simply flash a blank face, but many of them were indeed hiding something.

Jack scanned through the sea of cards, his eyes straining to pick out his Battle Shovel the next time the cards flashed. A few more seconds ticked by on the clock. The cards flashed again. There, in the very back – Jack only got a glimpse of silver, but he was sure that it was one of his ARM.

Jack immediately ran toward it, his eyes fixed on the card (it was a six) that held his ARM. As he was running he felt his shoulder brush by one of the other cards. He didn't pay any attention to it and kept moving forward, but a shout from the sidelines made him turn around, losing sight of his ARM in the process.

"Jack, the card!" Snow shouted. Jack looked back at the card that he had touched. It had begun to spin wildly. Jack was frozen where he stood. What was in the card? Was it Luxord? Had he won already?

The card suddenly stopped, and Jack took a step towards it. A large red and orange sun was printed on its face.

"So, what does that mean?" Jack asked.

The card suddenly shown bright red, and the next thing Jack knew he was hit in the chest by a huge force, that threw him backwards. Jack felt his shoulders brush by more cards as he tumbled across the sand, his face and chest still burning from the card's explosion.

Jack rolled to his feet and skidded to a stop. Thick grey smoke hung in the air, and there was a large gap from where he had touched more of the cards when he was thrown back. None of the others seemed to have held a bomb though – they had simply disappeared from view.

"So that's what Luxord meant when he said that not all of the cards were good," Jack muttered, coughing slightly from the smoke. He honestly wasn't surprised – he had learned by now that anything was possible.

"I certainly hope that your strategy isn't to touch everything you see!" Babbo scolded. "You've got to be more careful – wasn't it obvious that Luxord wasn't going to make it easy?"

Jack opened his mouth to retort, but he caught sight of the clock, and his heart sank. A hole minute had already ticked off – he couldn't waste anymore time. He would have liked to have been able to find another of his ARM, but he had to spend the rest of his time finding Luxord. Getting back his Battle Shovel was a priority, but he didn't want to think about what penalty Luxord had in store for him if he were to lose.

Jack scanned the swirling mass of cards, but he didn't have much time to look. Almost immediately he caught sight of three of Luxord's massive Attack Cards spinning out of the smoke and heading right towards him. Obviously not all of the cards that Jack had brushed against were blank.

"Not again!" Jack shouted as he dodged one of the cards. "I don't have time for this!" He dodged another card, and hoping to use the others as cover, sprinted back into the sea of cards.

Jack carefully edged through the cards, making sure that he was careful not to touch any of them – he didn't want to get hit by another bomb or release more of the Attack Cards.

Jack heard a faint whirling sound behind him. He spun around and was only barely able to edge out of the way of one of the cards. He felt his back push up against another card. He spun around to see the card he brushed against stop spinning. The card stopped, and revealed its face – another bomb. Jack barely had time to cover his face with is arms as the explosion threw him through the air. Jack landed hard ten feet away; he tumbled head over heels before finally skidding to a stop.

Jack opened his eyes, and found that he had come to rest at the foot of one of the cards. Its face flashed for a moment, and Jack got a glimpse of silver. It was one of his ARM! He pushed himself up and touched the card, but he immediately regretted it. There was something weird about this card…

The card, like the others, spun rapidly for a few moments before stopping and revealing what it had concealed.

The card had a strange silver symbol printed on its face. The symbol looked like an inverted heart but it had three large points at its top. Jack suddenly remembered where he had seen the card before – it was one of the cards that Luxord had hidden with his ARM. This must have been the card that Jack had picked. He had been wasting all of this time looking for ARM that didn't exist.

The symbol suddenly began to swirl around, almost as though it was getting sucked down a drain. Jack noticed that it wasn't just the symbol – the entire card seemed to be getting pulled away.

The card disappeared with an odd popping sound, but it was soon replaced by a different form.

Jack gave a startled shout as he jumped away from the creature. It had a light pink body and very short legs with very pointy feet. The creature had very thin arms, and its head looked like a pink and purple version of the three points that the symbol had on it. The creature appeared to be juggling a set of dice in its right hand while it shuffled a deck of cards in its left. This had to be some sort of Guardian ARM…

"Ah…I see that you've discovered one of my Gamblers," Luxord said, his voice hidden within the sea of cards. "Have fun. The clock is ticking…"

Jack glanced over at the clock – only a minute and fifteen seconds left!

The Gambler, meanwhile, stopped its juggling and shuffling. It selected four cards from its deck and spread them out in midair. Jack vaguely was aware that there were x's and o's printed on the cards, but he didn't have any more time to waste. He moved forward, pushing the Gambler to the side.

Jack tried desperately to pick out Luxord's card, but an odd sound caused him to turn around.

The Gambler was still standing there with its cards held out in front of it, but this time one of the cards was different. One of the cards with an 'x' printed on it was glowing red. The Gambler seemed to be bouncing up and down with glee as it collected the four cards.

Suddenly black and white tendrils shot from its hands. Jack didn't have time to dodge. He felt his elbows snap to his sides and his legs get slammed together. His hands and face seemed to be pressed up against glass. Jack looked down at his body, and found that he had been transformed again, but this time into a card.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Jack shouted exasperatedly. The Gambler resumed its juggling as it bounced away, disappearing into the sea of cards.

Jack had half a mind to follow it, but he knew that he didn't have time, and being in this form was just going to make things even more difficult.

A faint whirling sound announced the imminent arrival of another Attack Card, and Jack, who had seen the cards enough to be able to figure how to move, spun through the sea of cards, careful to avoid tripping any.

His eyes scanned desperately for any sign of Luxord. The cards were flashing much more frequently now, but none of the cards that he could see were hiding him. He glanced back up at the clock – only forty five more seconds!

Jack edged through the cards (which, due to the fact that he was much thinner as a card, wasn't too hard), careful to avoid the number four card on his left (which held an Attack Card, and the number seven and nine cards on his right, which both held bombs). He was hoping to get to the outer ring of cards and try to search for Luxord there.

It took him precious few seconds, but he finally emerged from the sea of cards, on the side opposite the rest of Team MAR - he was alone for the time being. He immediately began to scan through the cards, desperately hoping to get a glimpse of Luxord.

Two of Luxord's Attack Cards suddenly burst from the mass of cards, each one spinning like a buzz saw as they headed straight for Jack.

"Not again," Jack muttered as he pivoted sideways, dodging the first card. The second card was close behind, and Jack had to shift himself completely horizontal to dodge it. Jack spun around; the two cards had begun to shift directions – in a few moments they'd be coming for another attack.

There was no way that he'd be able to fight the cards off in time – especially when he was in this form. Jack had no choice but to flee into the relative safety of the cards – and hope that he didn't run into a bomb.

Jack spun into the sea of cards. He could hear the two Attack Cards close behind. Jack tried to keep his eyes open for Luxord, but it was extremely difficult to do so when he was constantly spinning, avoiding bombs and trying to out-maneuver the two attack cards – and time was running out. He estimated that he had no more than fifteen seconds until the game was up – and that was when he saw him.

Jack was upside down at the time, but he was positive that he had seen him. Luxord had flashed in the number ten card to Jack's right for only a moment, but it was long enough for Jack to notice.

Jack immediately stopped and spun around. One of the attack cards soared over his head, while the second grazed his shoulder, but Jack couldn't pay any attention to the pain. Jack had kept his eyes fixed on the number ten card – he wasn't going to let Luxord escape.

Jack spun forward as quickly as he could, but at that moment the Gambler jumped back into the battle, positioning himself directly between Jack and Luxord. Jack paused. The Gambler took advantage of his hesitation by flipping onto its hands and spinning around, slicing Jack's chest with its sharp, pointed feet.

Jack winced from the pain. He had no choice – he was going to have to do whatever he could to get by that Gambler.

Jack flipped horizontally again and, despite that fact that he was already extremely dizzy, began spinning rapidly. He launched himself forward, slicing clean through the Gambler. He was only ten feet from Luxord now – then five – then one.

An alarm rang out across the desert, signaling the end of the game. Jack felt his arms and legs release, and he fell face first into the sand.

Jack couldn't believe it – he had been so close to victory. Just one more second and he would have had Luxord…

He didn't have the time to dwell on it now. He had something else to worry about – what exactly Luxord was going to do to him since he had lost.

Jack pushed himself shakily to his feet. Luxord's cards had vanished, leaving the great expanse of sand looking extremely empty.

"This game goes to me," Luxord said happily. "It was about time, too. I had begun to fear that I had as much luck as you did, Jack!"

The rest of Team MAR seemed aware of the outcome of the game.

"It's okay, Jack!" Ginta encouraged. "You'll get him on the next game!"

"Exactly! Don't get discouraged, Jack," Babbo shouted. "You've already beaten him two to one! You can still win this!"

Jack wasn't feeling quite as optimistic. His arms and chest stung from where he had been cut, and his body was sore all over. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"Let's just get this over with," Jack said, his voice shaking from both nerves and exhaustion. "What are you going to do to me this time? Turn me into a poker chip?"

Luxord laughed. "Your punishment is my prize, Jack, and it won't be anything that cliché." Luxord once again selected some cards from his deck and tossed them to Jack. There were only three this time.

"Select a card, Jack," Luxord said. He seemed ecstatic, almost as though he was relieved that the match was finally going his way.

"What if I don't want to?" Jack asked, certain that none of the three cards had anything good in them.

"Then you forfeit the match," Luxord said. "It's your choice."

Jack new that he couldn't afford to lose – everyone else was depending on him. Jack sighed, and pointed to the card in the middle. "I choose this one."

The card flipped over, revealing another clock – but this one was different than the others that Luxord had used. This clock had a faintly golden hue to it, and it had two hands on it. One of them was ticking along at a normal rate, but the other was spinning rapidly around the clock's face. Jack had no idea what it meant.

Luxord stuck out his hand, summoning the cards back to him. The two that Jack hadn't selected shrunk back down to normal size, but the third card remained in its giant form, and just like the other two clocks, it remained floating over Luxord's head.

"This card will cast a spell on me that will stack the deck in my favor," Luxord said, grinning. "Once I have fully charged it, it will take effect, and at that point the game will be over, for all intents and purposes. You could attempt to interfere…" Luxord said, selecting three more cards from his deck. He threw them out in front of him, and they grew in size. They then proceed to slowly rotate in a circle around d him. "…but I doubt that it will do you any good."

Luxord snapped his fingers, and many bright yellow orbs began to flow up from him to the card.

Jack didn't know what to do. He was hurt, he was sore, and he was weaponless. How was he supposed to stop Luxord?

"What are you waiting for?" Ginta shouted. "You've got to stop him!"

"What can I do?" Jack shouted back. He felt crestfallen in that even after winning two games, he was almost defeated, and Luxord was almost completely unscathed. "How can I stop him? I haven't even got any ARM!"

"You've still got your fists," Nanashi said. "So use 'em."

Jack shook his head - it was no good. Jack wanted to give up. He was completely spent. He was cut, bleeding, and bruised. He had spent more time transformed than he had in his own body… This match was hopeless… Anyway, Snow had won her fight. Even if he lost this match, Team MAR could still win. It wasn't like all of their hopes were pinned on this one fight.

Jack glanced over at where the Chess Pieces had assembled. There were still three more fights to go –one against a Knight, then Nanashi's mystery match (his opponent still hadn't arrived) and then one against the other member from Organization XIII. The rest of this match could go either way… Even Alviss – arguably one of the strongest members of Team MAR, couldn't beat a Knight. Jack couldn't give up - Team MAR couldn't afford for him to lose.

Jack shook his head vigorously, almost as though he was trying to shake out all of his doubt and fear. He couldn't just surrender. Ginta and the others were counting on him to win… and it wasn't just them. His mother was too, and so was the rest of MAR. And if he did lose, it wasn't going to be because he had given up. Luxord would have to beat him unconscious to win!

Jack was suddenly filled with emotion. He sprinted towards Luxord, his hands clenched into fists. All of the pain that he felt; all of his exhaustion and frustration was being channeled through him – filling Jack with energy and an intense determination to win.

Jack punched at Luxord, but one of his cards had moved in the way to block it. Jack ignored the pain in his hand and he sprinted around to Luxord's unprotected side, where he shifted his weight onto his back leg and kicked. Another of Luxord's cards had moved in the way to protect its master.

Jack jumped, hoping to hit Luxord from above, but the third card followed his trajectory and blocked his attack, pushing Jack away.

Jack landed on his feet and resumed his assault. He punched and kicked as hard as he could, but every time he was about to hit Luxord, one of his cards would glide in the way at the last moment and block the attack.

The hands of the card above Luxord's head were beginning to spin faster and faster. Jack didn't have much time left. He could feel his frustration growing, and a bit of the fear that he had felt before had come creeping back. He couldn't let Luxord cast his spell. Jack didn't know what it would do, but it definitely wouldn't be good.

"Jack!" Alviss shouted. "Your magic stones will still work, even without your Battle Shovel. You just have to concentrate!"

Jack wasn't quite sure what Alviss had meant. Sure, a powerful magic user like Dorothy could probably use the stones effectively, even without an ARM. But what did Alviss expect Jack to do with them?

Jack reached into his pocket and grabbed his two magic stones, but his hand brushed up against something else. Jack wrapped his fingers around the contents of his pocked and removed the stones and the other objects from his pocket. It was his magic beans. Jack finally understood – it was his magical power working in conjunction with the magic stones that provided the power – his Battle Shovel was just a conduit.

The hands of the clock above Luxord's head were now spinning so fast they were a blur. It was now or never.

Jack transferred his stones into his left hand, his right still gripping his magic beans. He sprinted towards Luxord, his right hand pulled back to punch.

Luxord's three cards had moved into position in front of Luxord, preparing to absorb Jack's attack, but they had no idea what was coming.

Jack leapt into the air right when he was ten feet away from Luxord. He closed his eyes and focused all of his energy into his magic stones. He could feel the magical power pulse through him, and he did all that he could to direct it to the beans in his hand. Almost immediately he could feel them squirming in his hand. They finally erupted – three massive green vines pushed through his fingers and out of his hand, heading directly towards Luxord.

There was a sickening crunch, and Jack suddenly stopped mid jump. He opened his eyes.

He was hanging in midair, the three massive vines supporting him. Jack followed them down, and saw with dismay that even though the vines had pierced through Luxord's Shield Cards, they weren't able to get far enough through to hit Luxord. Jack released the beans. He landed on his knees, but didn't bother to get up.

Luxord was grinning.

"A valiant effort, Jack… Unfortunately my card is fully charged." Luxord snapped his fingers. "Haste."

The card suddenly shown bright and cast a golden aura down onto Luxord. Luxord shone bright as the spell was cast, and Jack, not knowing what was going to happen, didn't even bother to stand up. In his mind he had already lost.

"Even though I found our games enjoyable, I suggest that next time you never even bother playing," Luxord said. He gripped two of his large cards – one in each hand. "A champion needs luck to win… and you, Jack, might just be the unluckiest person that I know."

"Don't listen to him, Jack!" Ginta encouraged. "You can win, I know it! Don't give up!"

Jack looked up to where Luxord was standing over him. He got shakily to his feet and raised his fists. He didn't have luck – but he had determination, and even if it didn't bring him victory, it would still allow him to die with honor.

"Checkmate," Luxord said. He suddenly flashed forward, moving faster than anyone Jack had ever seen. He didn't even have time to shout as he felt a sharp pain as Luxord slashed at his arms. Jack punched, but Luxord had already sprinted away, moving so quickly that Jack could barely see him.

Luxord reappeared at his side; Jack had barely begun to turn to face him when he felt more searing pain, and then Luxord disappeared again, only to reappear behind, slashing away with his two giant cards.

Luxord appeared again in front of Jack, and he stabbed with such force that Jack went flying back twenty feet, landing in a broken heap in the sand.

Jack struggled to his feet, only to have Luxord appear at his side.

Jack stumbled as Luxord cut him again – this time on the legs. Jack tried to keep his balance, but Luxord had moved behind him and slammed his two cards hard onto his back, throwing Jack face first into the sand.

Luxord continued to pummel him into the hot sand, moving so quickly that Jack couldn't keep track of him. A huge plume of dust had risen into the air from Luxord's movement, further adding to the confusion.

Jack's vision was starting to dim from all of the blood that he had lost. He lifted his head up, gazing through the dust at the silhouettes in the distance. Was it Ginta and the others? He couldn't tell – but he did notice something else. A large rectangular shadow some fifty feet away…

Jack knew that it was his only hope – he couldn't survive much longer. He still held his magic stones in his left hand, and even though he was having difficulty concentrating, he was still able to focus the little big of magic he had left into them.

Jack pushed himself up onto his knees, Luxord still hammering away at him. Jack lifted up his fist and punched the ground as hard as he could.

The magic coursed through his hand – Jack gave a shout of pain as the bones in his hand broke, but he knew that it had worked. A huge plume of sand and earth was racing across the desert, directly towards Luxord's Haste Card.

Jack waited until the plume of earth was directly underneath the card before clenching his broken fist, sending a massive geyser of earth shooting upwards and completely shredding the card.

Jack looked over to where Luxord stood. He no longer had the golden aura, and Jack took advantage of his confusion by standing up and using another earth-infused punch to send Luxord flying.

Jack grimaced at the pain – his hand was already starting to swell, but he knew that Snow would be able to heal it in a few seconds after the match. He just had to keep fighting for a little bit longer…

Luxord slowly pushed himself to his feet, apparently dumbfounded that Jack had found a way around his Haste spell.

"Perhaps you're not as unlucky as I presumed," Luxord said shakily. Jack thought that he was going to surrender, but he quickly switched back to his normal manner.

"For my next game-"

"Luxord!"

Everyone shifted their gaze over to the person who had spoken. It was the other member of Organization XIII.

"I grow weary of this battle," he said. "Enough of these games… finish him."

Luxord looked displeased, but he slowly nodded.

"It appears that my games are over," he said sadly. He took out his deck of cards and shuffled them. "Oh well – I've had my fun. It's time for me to finish this match. I'm all in," he said, and his hand flashed forward, his many cards flying out of his hands. The cards swirled around him, creating a massive tornado of cards, with him at the center.

"Forfeiting will do you no good," Luxord shouted from inside the twister. "You're life is going to end here either way!"

Jack swallowed. Everything so far had just been a game to Luxord? He had been holding back his full power until now?

Jack clenched his fist around his magic stones – the only weapons he had.

Jack punched the ground again, sending another plume of earth racing towards Luxord, who sprinted sideways, the deadly tornado of cards following him. There was no way that Jack could fight at this range. The only way he could win was to get up close and personal – it didn't look like he was going to have much choice, anyway, since Luxord was already closing it.

Jack ran towards the tornado of cards. If he could just get close enough to get one solid hit on Luxord, he could knock him out of the tornado, then (hopefully) be able to pummel him into submission. Jack quickly discovered that there were a couple problems with this plan.

Jack forced his way into the tornado; immediately he felt countless numbers of cards slice into his skin. Jack had underestimated the sheer number of cards that Luxord had summoned – and it wasn't just the razor sharp little cards that he had to keep his eye on. Many of Luxord's large Attack Cards were prowling about, and every so often one would come slashing out of the thick flurry of cards, forcing Jack to dodge it.

The card storm was so thick that Jack was barely able to keep his eyes open – not that they did him much good. The cards were so dense he could barely see Luxord standing in the middle of them, looking immensely smug.

The second problem was simply trying to get to Luxord. Jack was getting pummeled by cards from every direction – it was impossible for him to walk in a straight line.

"You cannot win, Jack," Luxord gloated, safe in the center of his cards. "A champion needs luck."

"Yeah, you've said that already," he muttered as he staggered through the cards, his eyes locked on Luxord's figure, when amidst the mass of black and white, something silver caught his eye. Jack instinctively looked over at it, losing sight of Luxord as he did.

It was another of Luxord's Attack Cards, but there was something different about it. Imprinted on its face was – could it be? Jack's held his breath, waiting for the card to rotate again and show its face.

The card spun towards him dangerously. Jack had been so focused on what was printed on the card's face that he almost forgot to step out of the way, and that's when he got a clear view of the card's face. It was his Battle Shovel!

Instinctively he grabbed for it, his hand plunging into the card. He felt his fingers wrap around the familiar cold steel of the handle, and he pulled his hand from the card, his trusty Battle Shovel coming with it.

"Yes!" Jack shouted gleefully. His celebration was short lived though. Four Attack Cards suddenly shot towards him, and even though he was able to block with his shovel, the force of the combined cards' attack was enough to send him flying out of the tornado of cards.

Jack landed hard on the sand, but he was relieved to be out of the tornado – and he had his Battle Shovel back. Something was finally going his way.

"Jack, when did you get your shovel back?" Ginta shouted.

"Just now," Jack said as he popped his two magic stones back into the recesses on either end of his Battle Shovel's handle. "I found that card that it was in and pulled it out. Lucky, right?"

"Wait, that card was just flying around in there?" Alviss said. Jack nodded. "But I thought that Luxord said that he was going to be fighting seriously now?"

Jack pointed towards the massive card tornado that was moving towards him. "How is that not serious?"

"Jack, it's a game!" Alviss said. "Everything Luxord's done – even this – it's all just a game to him!"

"So?"

"That means that no matter how hopeless the situation looks, there is always an opportunity for you to win! Even now! You just need to think of a strategy!"

Jack looked back over at the tornado. How was this a game? There were no rules, and the only way to win was to defeat Luxord…somehow….

Jack gripped his shovel tighter. He was considering trying to send another shockwave toward Luxord, but he would simply dodge it. Anyway, Jack didn't have too much magic power left. The magic stones were much less efficient when they weren't being channeled through his shovel, and Jack and already used up a lot of it. Jack doubted that he could use more than three magical attacks before he was completely spent. He had to make sure that every attack counted, that meant getting so close that Luxord wouldn't be able to dodge.

Luxord's card tornado was closing in, and Jack still had no idea how he was going to get closer to Luxord. He thought back to what Alviss had said – that this was all just a game. Jack stared into the tornado, hoping that some revelation would come to him – some rule that would be made obvious. But nothing came. The cards were just as random and chaotic as ever. Or were they?

Jack squinted. The cards looked like they were flowing differently than before – perhaps it was the new angle he was looking at, but the cards almost seemed…ordered. He was sure of it – not only were the cards spinning in concentric circles, but there was a gap after every ninth card. The gap was small – only just big enough for him to fit his body into, but it was his only option.

Jack kept his eyes locked on the outer ring of cards, counting silently to himself. He counted to ten numerous times, but he was still too nervous to jump into the gap. He was going to have to start running with the cards as soon as he made it in, but he felt as though his legs were glued to the ground. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn't afford to mess up.

The tornado was so close now that Jack could feel the wind from the flurry of cards. It was now or never. Jack held his breath, counted to nine, then leapt into the gap.

His feet dug into the sand as he pushed off, running with the outer ring of cards in a clockwise direction. Now he just needed to find the gap in the next ring of cards, which was made all the more difficult since they were rotating in the opposite direction.

Jack felt the card behind him begin digging into his back. He saw the next gap coming up, and he took another leap of faith. He changed directions and immediately began searching for the next gap.

He repeated this for five more rings of cards, each one spinning faster than the one before it. But Jack could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He was far into the tornado now, much farther then he'd gotten before. He was now able to get a much clearer look at Luxord. Jack was disappointed to see that he had three of his Shield Cards rotating around him. That was going to complicated things.

Jack just need to pass through one more ring of cards…then the real fight would begin. He stepped into the final gap just as an Attack Card came flying towards him. Jack blocked with his shovel, but the force of the attack still sent him falling back towards the flurry of cards.

Jack landed in the sand, and immediately the multitude of cards descended on him, slashing at every part of his body. Jack struggled to his feet.

"I've had enough of these cards!" he shouted. He focused his magic and slammed his shovel onto the ground, sending out a circular wall of sand that blasted through the cards and sent them scattering, providing him with an opening. Now all he had to do was get past Luxord's Shield Cards.

Jack sprinted towards Luxord. One of Luxord's Shield Cards spun towards him. He ducked underneath the first one and dodged the second. He was almost close enough to Luxord to attack…

Jack raised his Battle Shovel as he focused his magic into it. Luxord, sensing that Jack's next attack was going to be too powerful to dodge, sent out his last Shield Card. Jack tried to jump over it, and almost succeeded, but the last card caught his feet, meaning that Jack was going to land a few feet too short. It didn't matter though – he was close enough.

Jack stabbed his shovel into the ground, sending a shockwave of sand rushing towards Luxord. He didn't have time to dodge this time, and Luxord was sent flying.

Jack pushed himself to his feet and ran after him. Time to finish this!

Luxord used his cards to flip himself back upright and float gently back to the ground. "Cards!" He shouted as he flourished his hand, sending out three more Attack Cards.

Now that Jack had his shovel back the cards didn't seem as threatening, and it only took three short seconds to leave them scattered on the ground.

"Hey, Luxord!" Jack shouted as he got ever closer. Luxord summoned more of his Shield Cards out of desperation. Jack was pleased to see that he didn't look smug anymore.

Jack was now only ten feet away. He focused the rest of his magic into his shovel and leapt into the air.

"A champion makes his own luck!" Jack shouted as he stabbed clean through Luxord's cards.

An enormous spray of sand engulfed Luxord, and the ground shook as Jack's attack connected.

Jack landed on his feet, but he was so exhausted that he had to use his shovel as a crutch. He waited with bated breath as the sand and dust settled.

Kneeling twenty feet away was Luxord, defeated.

"You play the game well," Luxord said, breathing heavily.

"The winner is, Jack!" Pozan shouted. Jack was flooded with happiness. It was over – he had survived.

The rest of Team MAR erupted with cheers. They were so loud that Jack couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't matter.

Jack slowly limped back over to the rest of Team MAR. He had won – he couldn't believe it. He stumbled in the sand, caught himself, and continued to limp forward. His right eye had swollen shut, and his hand was in excruciating pain – but all of the pain that he felt paled in comparison to the immense relief that had flood him.

"Guy's…I did…" Jack stammered, but he was too weak to continue. He fell forward. Ginta and Nanashi rushed forward and caught him. They threw his arms around their shoulders and walked him back over, where Snow was waiting with her Healing Angel ARM. She held it up to him, and Jack was vaguely aware of it shining brightly as she activated it.

Jack felt as though his body was being submerged in cool water. The pain in his hand began to fade, and the swelling in his eye receded. He looked down and saw all of his wounds knitting themselves together. All of his strength returned to him as his lost blood was replenished.

"There, all finished," Snow said happily. She looked slightly fatigued - since Jack's injuries were so severe, Snow had to use a lot of her magical power to heal him, but Jack was immensely grateful.

"Thanks, Snow. You're the best!"

She beamed at him.

"Congratulations, Jack!" Babbo said. "I never doubted you for a second, even if you are only my second servant!"

Jack was too gleeful to feel offended. For the first time he felt as though he had really contributed to the cause… he felt like a real warrior.

"The third battle will commence momentarily!" Pozan shouted, bringing Jack's attention back to the task at hand. "Who will be battling?"

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_I hope that everyone enjoyed! This battle took quite awhile to write (its twenty pages long!). The next battle shouldn't be this long, so hopefully my next update will be relatively soon. I appreciate any reviews! Thanks again for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello all. Sorry again about the wait - this chapter was suprisingly hard to write. The next ones shouldn't give me as much trouble though, especially since I've already started on Chapter 8, so it shouldn't be long. Anyways, enjoy!_

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"I can't believe I won!" Jack shouted with enthusiasm. He had just barely pulled off a victory against Organization XIII's Luxord, and everyone could tell that he was proud of himself – and he had every right to be. It had been a hard fought battle, one that had almost killed him on multiple occasions, but he refused to give up, and now Team MAR was one step closer to victory.

"I'm still amazed that you won," Nanashi said awkwardly. Jack frowned, then opened his mouth to argue. "I mean, no offense, Jack, but if Organization XIII was able to defeat Gaira – well I would have expected it to take someone like Alan to pull of a victory."

"At least this proves that they can be beaten," Alviss said. "But we shouldn't get complacent. Judging from his magical power level, Luxord was strong, but not the strongest fighter I've ever scene. The Organization could easily have more powerful members."

"The third battle will commence momentarily!" Pozan shouted, bringing everyone's attention back to the task at hand. "Who will be battling?"

A sudden large flash of light appeared next to the Chess Pieces, revealing their final fighter. He was tall and had long black hair, and he was wearing a purple and red outfit, along with a blue headband, and he had a large sword strapped to his back.

"I'm fighting," he said as he strode into the center of the desert. "And Nanshi will be my opponent."

"Who is that guy?" Ginta asked, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously.

"I have no idea…" Nanashi said, his eyes narrowed. "There's something familiar about him though."

"It's been longer than I though," the man said impatiently. "The Nanashi I remember never would stall before a fight."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nanashi said as he walked towards the newcomer. "But I've never seen you before in my life."

"I guess I shouldn't expect anything less," the man said gruffly. "Especially since during our last meeting I erased any memory you had of me."

"You…erased…" Nanshi muttered as he rubbed his head.

"Yes, it was essential that you forget me. Of course, I assume that your memories will return during our fight."

"Well, than I guess we should get started," Nanashi said.

"Agreed," the man said.

"The third round will be Galian of the Chess Pieces versus Nanashi of Team MAR," Pozan shouted. "Begin!"

Galian smiled as he held up his wrist, where a small silver bracelet ARM was hanging.

"Weapon ARM, Magic Rope!" he shouted, the ARM hanging from his wrist transformed into a large metal pot that fell onto the sand in front of him with a loud clank. "Let's see if you're as strong as I remember, Nanashi. Attack!" he shouted, and many long ropes shot from the cauldron towards Nanashi, who was wondering what was so dangerous about a bunch of ropes until he saw that each one was tipped with a stone face that had a multitude of razor sharp teeth.

"Head's up, Nanashi!" Ginta shouted, but Nanashi was already preparing a counter.

"Weapon ARM: Griffin Lance!" Nanashi shouted, and a long metal lance appeared in his hands. He proceeded to swipe and slash at the approaching ropes, which frayed and broke with each hit, but he couldn't help but notice that the cauldron was continuously emitting more and more of the ropes, and despite his best efforts, he was soon overwhelmed. The ropes snaked around his body and pulled tight, pinning his arms to his sides and preventing him from moving at all.

"I'm disappointed," Galian said, shaking his head.

"Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, and the ropes that bound his hands and arms were shredded by the tendrils of electricity that were emanating from his hands. He than pointed towards the sky, and a bolt of lightning shot towards the pot, shattering it instantly.

"I see that you're putting the ARM that I gave you to good use," Galian said.

"You gave me this ARM?" Nanashi said, extremely confused.

"If that's enough to worry you, I can only imagine what you'll think when you learn that I saved your life."

"You saved my life!" Nanashi shouted. His hand snapped up to his head as he tried desperately to think. "No…that's impossible…"

"Oh, no, it's all to true," Galian said. He sounded quite pleased that Nanashi was suffering so much. "I saved your life, and now I will be the one to end it. Nature ARM: Electric Frisbee!" He shouted, and the large circular ARM hanging from his belt shown with light as it transformed into many spinning metal discs that quickly surrounded Nanashi. Large bolts of purple electricity began to jump between them before converging on Nanashi, who gave a shouted of pain.

"Why doesn't he move?" Snow said anxiously.

"The electricity is overloading his muscles," Alviss said grimly. "He can't move."

Nanashi was engulfed in electricity for what felt like hours, but the electricity finally subsided, and before the discs could build up another charge, he was sprinting away from them. The discs were close behind, however, and Nanashi was only able to evade them for so long before he was finally overtaken.

More purple electricity jumped between the discs before finally catching Nanashi, who was pinned in place as the electricity coursed through his body. Nanashi gave another shout of pain, but this time he could hear a voice in his head that was not his own.

"We shall call you…Nanashi."

The discs discharged all of their electricity, and Nanashi fell onto his knees. He was hurt, that was to be sure, but what was worrying him more was the voice that he had heard – no, not heard - remembered. He quickly realized who the one talking was. He recognized the voice as Galian's. Perhaps he was telling the truth?

"This is a waste of my time," Galian said. "I thought you were stronger than this, Nanashi."

"There's something wrong," Babbo muttered. "Nanashi's holding back for some reason."

"Well, he better start fighting soon, or he's going to lose," Jack said.

"Come on, starting fighting for real, Nanashi!" Ginta cheered.

Nanashi slowly stood back to his full height.

"You're right, Ginta," he said slowly. "It's time I fight at my full power."

The spinning discs began to glow ominously again, but so did Nanashi's silver necklace.

"Nature ARM, Thousand Needles!" Nanashi shouted, and numerous glass needles sprouted from the ground around him, impaling and shattering the discs before they could attack again.

"You're not the only one that can use electricity, Galian," Nanashi said. "Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, and a beam of electricity shot from his hands towards Galian.

Galian, however, calmly unsheathed the sword hanging from his back and held it out. The approaching electricity diverted towards the sword, which glowed brightly as it absorbed the lightning.

"No way," Nanashi said with disbelief.

"My Electric Sword can absorb any electric attack," Galian explained as he brandished the glowing sword. "It gathers the energy, amplifies it, and then returns it," he said, and he pointed the sword at Nanashi. A massive bolt of lightning shot from the sword, engulfing Nanashi.

Nanashi's muscles convulsed as the electricity coursed through them – his whole body burned with such intensity that he couldn't help but yell. A chain of images flashed across his eyes with such speed they were merely blurs of color. The electricity finally dissipated, and when it did Nanashi realized that the images were memories – memories that he had long forgotten.

"I remember now," Nanashi said as he got back to his feet. "You did save my life, Galian. You even gave me my name. Not only that – but you used to be the leader of Luberia!"

Galian grinned. "So you've finally remembered."

"I remember everything," Nanashi said. "You took me in when I was lost. You trained me. You gave me a home, and a purpose. And once everything was going well, you abandoned us! And why? To join the Chess Pieces?"

"I felt that with you in charge, I'd be able to pursue more meaningful employment. I couldn't have you searching for me, so I made sure to erase all of your memories of me before I left. But I knew that I'd be seeing you again. You're stronger than before, just not strong enough."

Galian sprinted towards Nanashi, his sword tight in his hands. He stabbed and slashed at Nanashi, who dodged every strike, but he seemed too preoccupied with his memories to bother fighting back.

"Nanashi, what are you waiting for?" Babbo shouted, and Nanashi finally seemed to break from his stupor.

"Weapon ARM: Griffin Lance!" he shouted, and a long silver lance appeared in his hands. He lashed out, his lance a blur as he stabbed and slashed at Galian, who easily blocked and countered with his sword.

Nanashi's lance wasn't the only thing that was moving at blinding speed. His mind was racing as he reviewed all of the recently unsealed memories that he had of Galian. As a matter of fact, Galian was the first person he ever remembered meeting at all. Nanashi had no memory of his childhood or his family. The farthest back his memory went was waking up with Galian standing over him, ordering his men to help. When Nanashi's amnesia left him with no name, Galian gave him one. He then offered him a place amongst the thieves of Luberia, and Nanashi accepted. He and Galian had become fast friends. What went wrong?

The two thieves clashed, their weapons a blur as they attacked with as much strength as they could muster, each one determined to score a hit. Nanashi couldn't help but feel déjà vu brought on by his fight with Galian. He was certain that he'd been in a situation very similar to this before. He had fought Galian before – but all of those times they had been training – just friendly sparring matches. But there had been one other time when they had dueled, and Nanashi remembered being furious. It was when Galian had announced that he was abandoning Luberia, and leaving Nanashi in charge. But what was his reason for leaving, and why had Nanashi been so furious?

Nanashi stabbed with his lance, but Galian – who had been able to focus completely on the battle on not on past memories – sidestepped and slashed at Nanashi with such force that even though Nanashi blocked, he was still sent sliding back at least ten feet.

"Come on, Nanashi," Galian said snidely. "You can fight better than this. I thought I'd left the guild in good hands. Apparently you've been slacking."

"Why did you leave?" Nanashi asked as he tried to fight back his anger. "Why did you abandon us, and then wipe my memories?"

"I've already told you - I had to make sure that you wouldn't come after me," Galian explained. "And as to why I left, the simple answer is - power."

"You…you can't be serious," Nanashi said. He glared at Galian. "You abandoned Luberia – your family – and joined the Chess Pieces…for power?"

"Yes," Galian said, without an ounce of remorse. "And now you will witness that power. "Weapon ARM: Electric Feather!" Galian shouted, and a stream of silvery feathers shot from his hand and quickly surrounded Nanashi, and before he was able to react they engulfed him in crimson lightning.

Nanashi howled in pain as the lightning surged through his body, causing his muscles to convulse painfully and making it almost impossible for him to breathe. The lightning finally stopped as the feathers gathered more electricity, allowing Nanashi a small respite. Smoke was rising from his skin, and he was gasping for breath.

"Do you see know - the power that can be obtained by those who are willing to seek it?" Galian said. He looked down at Nanashi almost pityingly. "I was a big fish in a small pond, Nanashi. But the Chess Pieces provided a wealth of opportunity. Sure, I started off small – as a simple Pawn. But I rose through the ranks, and with each promotion the Chess Pieces game me more power. Look at me now – I'm no longer the Captain of a pathetic rabble of thieves. I am a Knight. But even I don't know the limits of my strength. That's where you come in, Nanashi."

"What are you talking about?" Nanashi asked. He had wanted to run over and strike Galian down, but he had peaked his interest. What had Galian wanted with him?

"It started weeks before I found you," Galian explained. "I was leading a raid on a castle with the other thieves, but the Chess Pieces beat us there. I was tired of the Chess Pieces always muscling us out of treasure, so I ordered my men to ignore the loot and attack the Chess Pieces. It was an even match, until Peta showed up."

"Peta? That scum that slaughtered everyone back home?" Nanashi said, his hands balling into fists.

"The very same," Galian said. "His power was much stronger than mine. I feared him. I knew that he could have struck me down at any moment. But surpassing even that fear was desire – the desire to match him in battle - to be equal to that power. So I offered my services."

"So the whole time that I knew you – you had already planned on betraying us?" Nanashi spat. Galian nodded.

"I needed someone to take my place as Captain. I found you unconscious in the wild, and I was amazed at your magical power. You didn't have a single ARM with you, but you could have rivaled me in battle. You were perfect. I engineered your rise through the ranks of the guild. I took you under my wing – made you my apprentice. And when the time came for me to leave, I wiped your memories and left. You tried to stop me, of course, but you were no match for me. I dreamed of the day that I'd be able to fight you again - the day when you'd be stronger and have the determination to fight me without holding back. I can say without a doubt that I am quite disappointed."

"So, you just left us?" Nanashi said, his voice dripping with anger. "Tell me, did you help Peta murder the rest of the guild?"

A small grimace passed over Galian's face, but it quickly went back to its usual look of steely calmness. "I was not aware what Peta had done. But when he told me, I felt no grief. Survival of the fittest; caring for others only makes you weak."

Nanashi heard a soft buzzing above him signaling that the feathers were ready to attack. They glowed red before showering him in a rain of lightning, but Nanashi didn't shout this time. The pain that he felt now was nothing compared to the pain that his comrades experienced when they were killed. He would make Peta pay for that, but first he had do deal with Galian.

Nanashi was done holding back. He had been waiting to hear all of Galian's story, but he'd heard enough. Galian was a traitor and a murderer – there was no way around it. Nanashi closed his eyes and focused on his magical power, which he had been suppressing up to this point. It suddenly spiked, and Nanashi held his hands apart, gathering as much of the red electricity as he could.

"You want to see power?" Nanashi growled, and he ripped his hands apart, sending out a shockwave of electricity that overwhelmed and shattered Galian's feathers.

He looked up at Galian, who was grinning slightly.

"Now that's the power that I expected," he said, and he rummaged around in his pocket before withdrawing a small silver ring. He slipped it onto his finger.

"But even you can't surpass the power of the Chess Pieces," Galian said. "This next ARM will prove it. Guardian ARM: Torpedine!" he shouted, and his ring shown with light.

A massive stingray appeared above him, flying through the air on its massive twenty foot wings. It had a huge maw on its back, which was lined with thousands of razor sharp teeth. Nanashi could sense the immense amount of magic emanating from it.

"Attack!" Galian shouted, and the stingray flipped onto its back. A massive ball of electricity formed at its mouth before firing at Nanashi, who didn't get out of the way in time. He was completely surrounded by the beam of electricity.

Nanashi didn't even flinch. He calmly stood in the middle of the lightning. He had finally raised his magical power to the point that Galian's attack barely caused him any pain at all. He was going to make Galian feel pain, though. It was time to pull out all the stops.

"Guardian ARM: Gymnote," Nanashi said, and one of the small silver rings he wore shown bright as the bright desert sky filled with dark storm clouds that were brimming with electricity. A massive snakelike form was gliding amidst the clouds, its long slender body swimming and diving through the clouds.

"What is that?" Galian asked, and for the first time he sounded worried.

"It's my Guardian ARM, Gymnote," Nanashi explained as the giant eel snaked its way over to Galian's sting ray. It slowly wrapped itself around Torpedine, which writhed and twisted as it attempted to escape Gymnote's grip. Gymnote glowed bright as electricity danced around its body. A sudden surge of lightning emanated from its body, and Torpedine gave a great shudder as it was crushed in Gymnote's massive grip. Galian's ring shattered, leaving him in complete shock.

"Gymnote, finish him!" Nanashi shouted, and a massive beam of electricity shot from its mouth. Galian gripped his electric sword and held it out, absorbing Gymnote's lightning.

"You can't beat me," Galian said smugly. The sword, however, began shaking violently, and Galian's stepped back in shock as it shattered, and with his last line of defense gone, he was engulfed in Gymnote's attack.

The lightning settled, revealing Galian lying on his back, defeated.

"How is this possible?" Galian groaned. "How are you stronger than me? The Chess Pieces had finally given me power. How were you able to gain power stronger than myself?"

Nanashi calmly strode over to him before answering. He stared down into Galian's eyes.

"You fight for yourself. I fight to protect my comrades. That's how I get my power, Galian," he said, and after that simple statement he returned to the rest of Team MAR.

"The winner is, Nanashi!" Pozan shouted, and all of Team MAR erupted into cheers.

Nanashi, however, didn't look too pleased. He had his memories back, and all they had brought him was anger and pain.

"You alright, Nanashi?" Snow asked, sensing that something was wrong. He shook his head, making it clear that he didn't want to discuss his past. "Who's up next?"

* * *

Ginta and Alviss looked at each other.

"So, you want to go next?" Ginta asked, hoping that the answer was no. He really wanted to fight next – he wanted to get it over with. Team MAR had already won three of the five battles, meaning that they had won the match. Ginta still couldn't lose his next battle, though. He was the team captain, meaning that if he lost, everyone lost.

"Let's see which Chess Piece is fighting next," Alviss said, looking over where they were gathered. "A Knight and an Organization member," Alviss muttered. "These next two fights aren't going to be easy for either of us."

"I already promised the Knight I'd fight him," Ginta said. "You okay with the Organization member?"

"I'd prefer that," he said, nodding. "You could probably take on a Knight. But Organization XIII is still a mystery, and since you're captain, I'd rather not risk it."

"What do you mean 'probably'?" Ginta asked indignantly, but Alviss gestured over at the Chess Pieces.

"Listen. They're deciding whose going to fight."

Ginta turned his attention over to the Chess Pieces, where Ash and the unknown Organization member were discussing the next battle.

"So, um, you want to fight now?" Ash asked the hooded member politely.

"I could really care less," he responded.

"Oh, come on, Zexion," Luxord said. The hooded member's gaze snapped over to him, almost as though he were annoyed that Luxord had used his name. "These fights are actually quite enjoyable. Dare I say, my fight was the most fun I've had in a long while."

"This is not supposed to be enjoyable," Zexion chastised. "Do not forget your purpose, Luxord."

Luxord smiled and began shuffling some playing cards, but he didn't say anything after that.

"I'll fight last," Zexion said. "Just make your fight quick, Ash. I do have other duties that I must attend to."

"Well, at least that's settled," Ash said, striding out into the middle of the desert. "You ready, Ginta?"

"You bet!" Ginta said excitedly as he took his place opposite Ash.

"The fourth battle will be between Team MAR's captain, Ginta, versus the Knight Ash of the Chess Pieces. Begin!" Pozan shouted, officially starting the battle.

"I hope you're ready, Ginta," Ash said slightly mischievously.

"Of course I'm ready,' Ginta said, slightly confused.

"Alright, then. Here I come!" Ash shouted, and much to Ginta's amazement, Ash separated in two; his legs remained firmly planted on the ground, but his upper body had detached and was know flying over to Ginta, who was completely caught off guard.

Ginta's tried to think of what he should do, but he drew a blank. He acted instinctually, turning on his heal and running, with Babbo close behind.

"Don't act so scared, Ginta," Ash said, and his voice sound far off. Ginta must have gotten away. "It's not like I'm right behind you." Ginta suddenly felt a tapping on his shoulder, and when he spun around he saw one of Ash's arms hovering body-less behind him. The arm balled its hand into a fist and punched Ginta in the jaw. Ginta stumbled sideways before catching himself and dodging another blow from Ash's arm.

"How is he doing this?" Babbo asked as he watched helplessly as Ginta dodged another punch.

"I can answer that," Ash said happily. He held in is other disembodied arm a silver pendant. "Split Parts is my Dimension ARM, and as you can tell it allows my limbs to act independently of my body. I'll be nice, though," he said, and his body parts reattached themselves.

Ginta, who was slightly embarrassed that he had tried to run away, immediately grabbed hold of Babbo.

"Babbo Version One: Hammer form!" he shouted, and Babbo transformed. Ginta sprinted towards Ash, swinging wildly. Ash chuckled to himself as he easily dodged Ginta's blows.

"Take it easy, Ginta," Ash said. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

"The only one that's going to get hurt is you!" Ginta said fiercely as he swung again, but he missed wide and stumbled. The hot desert sun was beating down relentlessly. Large beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead, and he was panting heavily. Ginta was amazed at how Jack was able to fight for so long without giving up.

"Do you need a breather?" Ash asked. "You look tired, Ginta. Don't overexert yourself; you don't want to get heat stroke!"

"Shut up!" Ginta said, tired of Ash's sympathy. "Babbo Version Two: Bubble Launcher!" He shouted, and Babbo transformed into a large silver gun. Ginta took aim and fired, and a barrage of pink Babbo bubbles burst from the barrel.

"Nature ARM, 3D Shadow!" Ash shouted, and his shadow raced out towards the barrage before peeling itself up from the sand and becoming solid. The Babbo bubbles exploded on impact, shaking the ground and creating large quantities of smoke, but once the smoke cleared Ginta realized that Ash's shadow was completely unscathed.

The shadow glided forward, and before Ginta could react it punched his chin with an uppercut, sending him flying backwards before landing painfully on the ground.

Ginta struggled to his feet, rubbing his throbbing jaw. Babbo reverted back to his normal form and hovered over his shoulder.

Ash's shadow shrank back to normal, leaving the desert feeling oddly empty.

"Listen, Ginta – I'm sorry about all this," Ash said, and Ginta was surprised a how sincerely apologetic he sounded. "I never wanted to have to fight a child like yourself."

"What are you talking about?" Ginta asked. "And don't call me a child!" he said indignantly.

"Ginta, I need you to understand – my only goal in life is to protect those that cannot protect themselves. Throughout MAR's history there have been wars. Long before the Chess Pieces game into existence, one country would war with another, and the ones that always suffered the most were the children. That is why I joined the Chess Pieces – to protect them."

Ginta was taken aback. "That makes no sense at all," he said, dumbfounded.

"You're mad," Babbo chimed. "The Chess Pieces are villains – they care only for themselves."

"That's right," Ginta said. "All the Chess Pieces want is destruction."

"You don't understand, Ginta," Ash said, shaking his head. "You're too young – to naïve. When the Chess Pieces finally conquer MAR, and their rule is absolute, there will be no more countries to war with one another. The Chess Pieces will bring about a peace that will be absolute, and then finally the children won't have to suffer."

"But the Chess Pieces are evil!" Ginta shouted. "How can you even think that they'll bring peace?"

"Because they are the only ones that can," Ash said. "Phantom is invincible – there is no one who can stand up to him. Those that oppose him will only prolong all of the fighting. Please, Ginta, you have to believe that I have the best of intentions."

"You're a fool…" Babbo said. "…an utter fool."

"You've been tricked," Ginta said. "Phantom will never stop fighting – not until everyone is dead. You won't be able to save the children."

"I suppose that it's no use trying to convince you," Ash said sadly. "I don't want to hurt you, Ginta, but I can't give up on my goal. Let's finish this."

Ginta could sense a powerful aura erupt from Ash. He was powering up, and Ginta could tell why he was a Knight.

Ash pulled a ring off of his finger and showed it to Ginta. "I have a magic trick to show you," he said seriously. "Unfortunately, there are children in the audience, and I don't think that this next part is suitable for innocent minds. "Dimension ARM: Psycho Space!"

The ring that he was holding rose up high into the air, before bursting into light. A green light shown from it, and the ring traced out a massive ring on the desert sand, encircling Ash, Ginta and Babbo. The green line slowly rose, leaving behind a black and green aura that slowly formed itself into a massive dome, trapping them inside.

Ginta and Babbo looked around in amazement.

"What is this place?" Babbo asked, gazing around at the immense expanse of green and black.

"I don't know," Ginta asked, his voice echoing slightly. "But I feel kind of weird," he said, and indeed, he felt extremely dizzy and lightheaded, and his arms and legs felt as though they were being weighed down by massive lead weights.

"You're feeling the effects of my Psycho Space," Ash said, and unlike Ginta, he looked completely unfazed. "The Psycho Space effects everyone trapped inside – except for me, of course. It automatically halves your magical power. So even if you could have beaten me before, you have no hope now."

"That's a dirty trick," Ginta said, swaying slightly from the effects of the ARM. He tried to focus on Ash, but he looked odd. Perhaps the Pyscho Space was getting to him, but it looked almost as though Ash was missing an arm…

"Wait a minute," Ginta said, remembering earlier in the battle. He suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder. Ginta spun around, and saw Ash's disembodied arm holding an ARM next to him.

"Weapon ARM, Walking Bomb!" he shouted, and the pendant transformed into a large black bomb that had a rather sinister looking face on it.

"What is that?" Ginta asked, jumping back.

"It looks like some sort of bomb," Babbo said, floating behind Ginta's back. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, Ginta," Ash chuckled. "I just want to play a game."

"How is this a game?" Ginta asked, eyeing the bomb suspiciously.

"My Walking Bomb ARM will follow whoever is last attacked," Ash explained. "Right now it will stay close to you, but if you were to hit me it would move over to me, and if I was to strike you back it would transfer itself back to you. The interesting thing is that the bomb will grow after every hit, increasing in power until it finally explodes. Understand?"

"Yeah, this doesn't sound so hard," Ginta said, shaking his head as he tried to focus. "Babbo, Version One: Hammer Form!"

Ginta ran towards Ash, who separated his limbs again, and Ginta swung, this time connecting with Ash's torso. Ash gave a shout of surprise, and the bomb shifted over to his shoulder as it doubled in size.

"Not bad," Ash said, and one of his disconnected arms punched Ginta across the face, transferring the ever growing bomb moving over to him.

The two continued to exchange blows, with the bomb growing ever larger, until it had grown to massive proportions, its clownish grin stretched wide over its black body. It was hovering next to Ginta, who punched at Ash, who separated at his middle, barely dodging Ginta's blow. Ash punched, sending Ginta sliding backwards.

"That was a close one," Ash said, breathing a sigh of relief. "But it looks like that bomb is almost ready to blow. One more hit should do it." His limbs reattached themselves to his body, and he held up another ARM. "Guardian ARM: Death!" Ash shouted, and Ginta gasped in horror as the ARM transformed into a towering, menacing figure that had four massive scythes sprouting from where its arms were.

"Attack!" Ash shouted, and the guardian flung its massive scythes towards Ginta, who brought his arms up to block.

The scythes slashed at his arms and legs, leaving deep gouges as they spun by. Ginta flinched at the pain, and when he opened his eyes again he was staring into the eyes of Ash's Walking Bomb, which was quivering as its fuse disappeared into its body.

"Game over," Ash said, and the bomb exploded, engulfing Ginta in fire and smoke and pelting him with bits of shrapnel.

"Wait, that was much too powerful!" Ash shouted in a panicked voice as he ran over to Ginta. "I didn't mean for it to be that strong! Ginta, you're not dead, are you? Please, Ginta, say something!"

The smoke was beginning to clear, revealing Ginta surrounding by a shaking mass of orange gelatin, which had protected him from the explosion.

"Quick thinking," Ash said, looking relieved, as the gelatin disappeared. "I was worried that I'd killed you."

"Well, you are a Chess Piece," Ginta said bitterly. "Isn't that your intention?"

"Of course not!" Ash said. "Ginta please, you have to surrender. The longer this continues the greater the chance that your going to get seriously hurt," Ash pleaded. "Listen, I'll talk to Phantom for you. I'll get him to let MAR keep fighting even though you lost. How does that sound?"

"You don't get it at all," Ginta said angrily. "I've seen what the Chess Pieces have done. They've destroyed towns, and killed anyone who lived there, including the children. There's no way that the Chess Pieces will ever bring peace! Babbo, Version Three: Gargoyle!" he shouted, and Babbo transformed into his strongest form, a massive, winged gargoyle that rivaled Ash's Guardian in size and power. Ginta focused on his power, raising it to its peak.

"How are you still powering up?" Ash asked in a panic. "You're supposed to have half of your power drained. This isn't possible!"

"Gargoyle, attack!" Ginta shouted, and the gargoyle roared, lifting the gold ring that it carried out before it. A ball of energy charged at its mouth before a beam of pure energy shot through the ring, which amplified the blast. The attack blasted straight through Death and continued on, shattering the great dome around them.

Bright yellow sunlight burst through as the Psycho Space crumbled around them.

Ginta's magic powered down. He had spent everything on that last attack. Ash, however, was still standing.

Ash lifted his hand up and removed his mask. He was smiling and sticking out his tongue at Ginta.

"I surrender," he said. "Ginta's the winner."

"You're just giving up?" Ginta asked in disbelief. Ash nodded.

"You have a strong heart," he said. "Maybe there is another way… I'm leaving you in charge of protecting the innocent, okay Ginta?" And with that, Ash rejoined the rest of the Chess Pieces.

"The winner, by forfeit, is Ginta!" Pozan shouted, and Ginta trekked back over to Team MAR.

"Nice win," Nanashi said. "We were worried about you for a second there."

"Yeah, that Psycho Space looked pretty scary," Jack said. "I'm glad it wasn't me in there."

"Ginta, you're bleeding!" Snow said anxiously. She held up her Healing Angel ARM, but Ginta shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said. He watched as Alviss walked quietly into the middle of the field. "We're going to need that later."

* * *

"It looks like you're up, Zexion," Ash said to the Organization member as he took his place back amongst the Chess Pieces. The Organization member didn't make any response - he simply strode towards the middle of the desert where he stood impatiently with his arms folded.

"Let's get this over with," Alviss said calmly, talking his place in the middle of the desert.

Zexion reached up and lowered his hood, and Alviss was shocked at how young he looked; he couldn't have been much older than Alviss was. He had steel blue hair with large bangs that covered his right eye. His expression was difficult to read, almost as though he was completely uninterested with the current situation.

"The final battle will be between Zexion of Organization XIII versus Alviss of Team MAR," Pozan said eagerly. "Begin!"

"Weapon ARM, Thirteen Totem Pole - Staff!" Alviss shouted, and his Totem Pole staff appeared in his hand. He gave it a twirl and got into a defensive stance - he didn't want to run into battle just yet.

"Book of Retribution," Zexion said, holding out his hand. A large grey book appeared in it, and proceeded to flip open to a page roughly halfway through the book. Zexion gazed over the top it as he studied Alviss.

"You're magical power is stronger then the others," he said as he consulted his book. "From what I've gathered, you're one of Team MAR's veterans, correct?"

"Yeah," Alviss said, his eyes narrowed. So Zexion could read power levels - that meant that he was fairly skilled.

Zexion didn't question him further, and his gaze drifted back to his tome, giving Alviss a chance to look him over. He was much thinner than both Luxord and Xigbar, and he doubted that that book of his would be too effective as a melee weapon. Even his hairstyle gave Alviss information - someone who was used to fighting up close wouldn't cover up his eye. If he had to guess, he'd say that Zexion's specialty was magic. Alviss closed his eyes and focused on Zexion's magical power level, and was shocked to find that it was lower then he'd expected, below both of the Organization members that he had seen so far - it was even less than Jack's. He must be concealing it - it was the only explanation, and if that was true, it would mean that Zexion was stronger then both Luxord and Xigbar, who had both been unable or unwilling to conceal their power levels.

Alviss focused on his own level, lowering it slightly. Zexion raised his eyebrows - he had sensed Alviss' change. It would take at least a Knight rank warrior to have been able to sense that slight of a power change.

"Hey, Alviss?" Ginta called out, breaking his concentration.

"What?" he said, a little annoyed.

"Why are you two just standing around?"

Alviss didn't answer, and instead turned his attention back to Zexion, who apparently had finished making his assessments; he had his book propped open in one hand, the other slightly raised.

"I'd prefer if we completed this quickly," Zexion said with a tone that made it quite clear that this wasn't how he had been hoping to spend his day.

"Fine with me," Alviss said, shifting into an offensive stance. Now that he had reason to believe that Zexion was a magic user Alviss knew that he had to attack quickly. If Zexion's abilities were anything like ARM, it would take him some time to synch his powers. Alviss hoped to be able to finish him before he got the chance to.

Alviss ran towards him, his staff spinning in his hands. Zexion watched him approach with a bored look on his face.

Alviss leapt in the air and brought his staff crashing down towards Zexion's head. Zexion calmly used his book to block the strike, sending vibrations surging through Alviss' ARM. Alviss was slightly shocked at how solid the book was.

Alviss planted his foot down and pivoted, his staff whipping around towards Zexion, who despite his frail appearance had no trouble blocking such a powerful strike.

Alviss continued his assault, his staff a blur of metal as he slashed at Zexion's exposed body. He slashed horizontally and followed that with an upward slash, but Zexion was easily able to parry both attacks. Alviss pivoted behind Zexion, and, seeing an opening, aimed at Zexion's head with an overhead strike. Zexion didn't turn around to block, and Alviss was extremely shocked when Zexion's book appeared before him, blocking the strike.

"You are such a brute," Zexion said over his shoulder. He had his arms folded, and he still hadn't turned to face Alviss. Alviss pulled on his staff, but he now realized that it was trapped between the book's pages, and no matter how hard he pulled, he could not free it. "Obviously you've realized that a direct assault is futile? Few things try my patience more than someone who refuses to learn."

Zexion's book suddenly snapped open, giving Alviss a quick glimpse of many paragraphs of words printed on the book's pages. He tried desperately to free his staff from the book, but despite Alviss pulling with all his might it would still not release his staff.

Zexion snapped his fingers, and the pages suddenly shown with a brilliantly white light. Alviss quickly transformed his ARM back into its chain form before front flipping over Zexion, just as a large purple blast of energy shot from the book. Alviss could feel the immense heat from the blast as he cleared it by inches.

Alviss landed and spun around just as the blast impacted the sand, leaving a large trail of glass in its wake.

Zexion hadn't moved from his spot, and he was back to reading his book with renewed interest.

"That is an interesting ARM," he said, his finger tracing down the page. "It has two different forms – a rod form and a Guardian, which I assume you're going to use next, correct?"

Alviss was shocked, but he tried to keep a straight face. Zexion knew quite a bit about his Totem Pole ARM – of course, all of it was information that he could have gleaned from watching his past battles, but Alviss couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unique about that book.

"So you've guessed what I'm going to do next," Alviss said. "Congratulations – any Rook would have known that. But let's see you stop it – Thirteen Totem Pole!" he shouted. The ground shook and large plumes of sand erupted as multiple stone totem poles erupted from the ground, each segment spinning rapidly.

Alviss expected Zexion to move out of the way as the totem poles zeroed in on his position, but what he did not expect was Zexion to levitate a foot from the ground, allowing him to elegantly dodge all of the totem poles without even raising his eyes from his book.

"He can hover!" Ginta shouted, the shock in his voice mirroring what Alviss felt.

"He dodged every one without even looking!" Jack gasped.

"Don't look so surprised, Alviss," Zexion said as he gazed over the top of his book. "You've used that pattern before – it was hardly difficult."

Alviss dismissed the totem poles, which vanished from sight, leaving nothing between him and Zexion.

Alviss had greatly underestimated Zexion's abilities. Not only was he a capable fighter, but he was also a shrewd strategist. Alviss expected that this battle was going to be difficult, but he now realized that he couldn't afford to hold back.

"Weapon ARM, Thirteen Totem Pole – Staff!" he shouted again, and his weapon appeared in his hand as he sprinted towards Zexion.

Alviss' staff was a blur of steel as he swung with as much speed and ferocity as he could muster. Alviss' strikes were so fast and precise that Zexion was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Alviss noted a definite lag in Zexion's parries, and he spotted with some satisfaction multiple beads of sweat dotting Zexion's brow. He was getting tired – all Alviss had to do was press the assault and keep his eye open for any openings in Zexion's defenses.

Alviss stabbed with his staff, wedging it underneath Zexion's arm. He immediately jerked his staff upward, forcing Zexion's arms open. Seeing his opportunity, he swung his staff over his shoulder, aiming for Zexion's head. There was a clang of metal on metal, and Alviss jaw dropped.

Clutched tightly in Zexion's right hand was what appeared to be a jet black version of Alviss Totem Pole Staff. Zexion wore the slightest of smiles as he saw the look of shock on Alviss' face.

Alviss suddenly felt a huge force as Zexion, who was still clutching his book in his left hand, swung it into his head, sending him tumbling sideways.

Alviss reflexively dropped down and rolled, transferring as much of the force into motion as he could before leaping back to his feet. His hand snapped up to the side of his head – his hair was wet with blood from where the edge of the book had caught him. He forced his thoughts away from his injury and back to the battle at hand.

"Where did you get that?" Alviss shouted, pointing at Zexion's newly acquired weapon. He glanced down at the shiny metal staff still clutched in his hand, just to make sure that it was still there.

"I wouldn't exactly be a very good fighter if I just gave away my secrets, now would I be?" Zexion said condescendingly.

Alviss' hands drifted to where he kept the rest of his ARM, fearing that Zexion might have stolen them just as Luxord had from Jack, but they were all still there. So how was he able to make a replica of his staff?"

"Don't tell me that I've taken the fight out of you already," Zexion sneered.

Alviss shook his head. "Hardly," he said, and he charged at Zexion, his staff clutched tightly in his hands.

Zexion turned his book towards Alviss, the pages rustling ominously. Suddenly many pages shot from it towards Alviss, who deftly parried them in stride.

"You're going to need more than pages to stop me!" Alviss shouted, and he planted his heel into the sand and swung. Zexion parried the attack with his replica staff, but Alviss was glad to see him stumble slightly. He had been right – Zexion wasn't a physical fighter – and despite his impressive displays of strength earlier, it was obvious that he didn't nearly have the necessary endurance to keep fighting for long. As long as Alviss stayed on the offensive he could eventually overwhelm Zexion.

Alviss pressed the assault, making sure to put as much force behind each strike as he could. Zexion, despite looking fatigued, was holding up surprising well, and even Alviss was impressed by his skill with the replica staff.

Zexion dipped down and swept at Alviss' legs, but Alviss back flipped away. Zexion used the added distance to fire more pages at him, but Alviss, who was finally getting into his rhythm, blocked them effortlessly.

Alviss charged again, his staff a blur of silver as he relentlessly attacked Zexion. The two locked staffs, each one pushing hard against the other. Alviss pushed with all of his might, his staff inching closer to Zexion, who was too tired to match Alviss' strength.

Alviss heard the flipping of many pages, and before Alviss had the time to block Zexion had launched more pages, which sliced across Alviss' back.

Alviss, eager to escape the flurry of pages, leapt backwards. His hand instinctively snapped over his shoulder, returning stained with blood.

"Alviss, look out!" Snow shouted, and Alviss' attention snapped back to the battle. Zexion's book was glowing bright, and another purple blast shot from the book.

Alviss didn't have time to react, and he braced himself for the impact. The blast hit him square in the chest, and despite all of his battle experience, even he wasn't prepared for the pain.

It felt as though the blast was slicing straight to his core, where it burned with such intensity that Alviss was barely able to stay on his feet. His staff fell from his hands, leaving him defenseless.

"Weapon ARM, Guardess!" Alviss gasped, and despite that fact that he was only barely able to focus on the ARM, he soon felt the cold steel handle of his shield ARM and he quickly knelt down behind it. He took his few moments of respite to look down at the damage that had been done. To his surprise, he looked completely unharmed, even though it felt as though his insides were molten. Almost as though he could read his mind, Zexion spoke.

"My magic is able to bypass physical defense and damage your life force," he explained. "It is much more efficient than physical strikes, as you have undoubtedly learned the hard way."

Alviss tried his best to ignore the pain and focus back on the battle.

"Get up, Alviss!" Ginta shouted. "You can beat him. Don't give up!"

Alviss, surprised that Ginta's encouragement was actually strengthening him, struggled to his feet. He new what he had to do now.

Alviss dismissed both of his ARM. Despite Zexion's attack, Alviss' last assault had bought him enough time to perfectly synch with his Totem Pole – there'd be no way that Zexion could dodge his next attack.

"Thirteen Totem Pole!" Alviss shouted, and more plumes of sand erupted as the giant stone pillars erupted one after the other.

"Again?" Zexion sighed, his eyes drifting back down to his book. "And such a predictable pattern, too," he said as he levitated out of the way again.

"Oh really?" Alviss said with a grin.

A look of horror appeared on Zexion's face as he realized, far too late, that he had fallen into Alviss' trap. The thirteenth pillar erupted right where Zexion was standing, throwing him high into the air before coming crashing down.

It was a powerful hit, but Alviss was too smart to have expected it to finish Zexion off. Just as he thought, Zexion was struggling to his feet – hurt, but not defeated.

"Twelve…" he muttered as he tried to comprehend how Alviss had outsmarted him. "My lexicon could only sense twelve of them… How did you disguise the thirteenth?"

"You really expect me to tell you?" Alviss spat. He was quite pleased with his ingenuity – unfortunately, it had taken a considerable amount of magic to conceal the last totem pole – much more than Alviss had wanted to spend. If he was right in guessing that this was going to be a long fight, he was going to have to conserve his magic, meaning that he wasn't going to be able to use his Thirteen Totem Pole's Guardian form as liberally as he had wanted. He summoned his staff again and got ready to fight. It was too much to hope that the same attack would work again, but hopefully Zexion was weak enough that he could overcome him up close.

"I'll find out soon enough," Zexion said, much to Alviss' confusion. Zexion extended his hand, and Alviss got ready to dodge whatever Zexion was planning to attack him with.

After a few moments, Zexion lowered his hand. He consulted his lexicon with a very confused look on his face. "It appears that it's going to take more than an analysis to replicate its full power," he said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. His hand snapped down to his side, the jet black replica of Alviss' staff appearing in his hand.

Alviss had no time to contemplate the meaning of this statement. Zexion was already charging at him, his replica staff clutched tightly in his hands while his lexicon rotated around him.

The two met in the middle of the desert, their two staffs a blur as they swung, stabbed, blocked and dodged.

Zexion was actually quite skilled with the replica staff, but Alviss was slightly faster – which was a good thing, since Alviss also had to keep his eye on Zexion's lexicon, which was still floating ominously at his side.

Alviss felt his wrist jerk as Zexion locked his replica staff with Alviss' and pinned it to the ground.

Alviss struggled against Zexion, and he slowly began to lift his staff, but Zexion didn't seem too worried. He had his palm held out near Alviss' face, while his other was pressed firmly against the pages of his book.

"Your memories laid bare!" he shouted, and Alviss' vision blurred as a rush of images flew through his mind. Alviss shook his head, trying to dismiss the flood of scenes that had flashed so quickly through his mind that he couldn't tell what they were.

Zexion had leapt backwards, putting distance between himself and Alviss. He held his lexicon open in his palm and was rapidly scanning down the page.

"Interesting," he said, his eyes darting left and right. "This ARM has an incredible amount of versatility. It's no wonder my initial scan was incomplete. Ah, and what's this?" Zexion said, his eyes widening slightly. "This memory seems to have had quite an effect on you. I'll make sure to save it for later."

Alviss still wasn't sure what Zexion was talking about, but he noticed with dismay that the replica staff had grown more silvery in appearance, and he could make out the distinctive totem markings that perfectly matched the symbols on his own.

"The analysis should be complete," Zexion said as his staff transformed back into its chain form. "Let me see this ARM's power – Thirteen Totem Pole, Guardian!" he shouted.

Alviss felt the ground rumble ominously, and then, much to his amazement, a multitude of replicas of his stone totem poles erupted all around him.

Alviss leapt backwards, dodging the totem pole that had erupted where he had been standing only moments before. He dodged a second pole, and then a third.

More and more of the totem poles began to erupt around him, keeping Alviss on his toes as he dodged between them.

Alviss tried to run towards Zexion, but the replica totem poles where relentlessly blocking his path and forcing him to shift direction away from Zexion.

Alviss was all too familiar with this technique – Zexion's intent was to keep him trapped in the midst of the totem poles. Eventually Alviss would grow too tired to keep dodging, and he'd get hit. What Alviss had to do was find a way to Zexion before this happened.

Alviss was lucky that he had so much battle experience, since he had to formulate a battle strategy while he inches away from death as more and more totem poles erupted around him. The problem was that he could think of no way to close the gap between himself and Zexion, since Zexion was successfully keeping him trapped in the middle of the totem poles.

A thought finally passed through his mind. It was a technique that he had invented back when he was young, back when he had just receive his Thirteen Totem Pole ARM. The idea had seemed ingenious to him at the time, but he realized soon after that it was crazy – suicidal even. He remembered thinking that he would only ever use it in a dire situation. Well, this definitely classified as a dire situation – he had no choice.

Sliding to a stop, he transformed his staff back into its chain form.

"What is he doing?" Snow shouted anxiously. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"He isn't giving up, is he?" Jack said in disbelief.

"No way," Ginta said. "There's no way Alviss would give up! He's definitely got a plan!" he said confidently.

Alviss wished that held as much confidence in his plan as Ginta did, but it was far too late to turn back now. A loud rumbling beneath him announced the inevitable arrival of another of Zexion's totem poles. His plan required perfect timing – if he was off by even a fraction of a second… he was finished.

Alviss leapt forward as far as he could. He landed just as the totem pole erupted behind him.

"Thirteen Totem Pole, Guardian!" he shouted, and one of his own totem poles erupted diagonally, barely nicking Zexion's and knocking it onto a slant. Alviss immediately dismissed his ARM, and as soon as he could move again he leapt as high into the air as he could.

Zexion's now slanted totem pole caught him beneath his feet –Alviss' legs snapping to his chest as he absorbed the shock – and he rode it as it carried him up – and towards – Zexion, whose mouth was hanging open slightly from shock at Alviss' ingenuity.

Alviss could hear the rest of Team MAR cheering, and he couldn't help but feel slightly elated. He quickly suppressed the emotion and brought his focus back to the battle. He still wasn't out of the woods yet.

He was approaching Zexion at an alarming speed – much faster than he had anticipated. Alviss pushed off with as much force as he could, launching him towards Zexion. Zexion, however, had disappeared into a small smokescreen, concealing him from view. Alviss might have lost sight of him, but he still had to take the chance.

"Weapon ARM, Thirteen Totem Pole, Staff!" Alviss shouted, and the weapon appeared in his hand; and, to top it off, the smokescreen was slowly dissipating, leaving Alviss with a clear view of Zexion - but what Alviss saw next made his heart stop. He could see not one, but two silhouettes in the smoke, and as it cleared it only became more and more apparent that there were now two Zexions staring back at him, their expressions cold.

Alviss was so shocked that he didn't even try to strike. Both the Zexions dodged out of the way, and Alviss landed painfully in the sand. He attempted to roll, but he was moving so fast that he completely lost control and skidded for what seemed like a hundred feet. When he finally came to a stop he could barely get back onto his feet. Each breath he took was agonizingly painful. He counted four – no, five broken ribs. His left shoulder was dislocated as well. He stuck his staff diagonally into the sand, then place his shoulder up against it. He grabbed his shoulder with his other hand and popped the bone back into the joint, sending pain surging through his whole body.

His eyes were watering with pain, but he did his best to focus them as they traced the deep gouge that he'd made back towards Zexion and his new clone. The two of them had closed the gap between them, and both of them had their lexicons open and facing him. The two books shown with light, and each one fired out a large purple blast of energy.

"Weapon ARM, Guardess!" Alviss shouted, and his large shield appeared in his hand. Alviss barely was able to hide behind in before the two blasts hit with such force that Alviss slid back a few more feet, sending more pain down his recently relocated shoulder. He held his shield up, ready to block any more attacks from the two Zexions who were slowly revolving around him, a look of smugness on their faces.

"There are two of them?" Jack shouted. "How are there two of them?"

"That's not fair," Ginta said. "Alviss is getting double teamed… He can still win though, right?"

"This isn't good," Alviss muttered to himself, backing up slowly as he tried to keep both of the Zexions in front of him.

"That was quite an interesting tactic," one of the Zexion's said. He flourished his right hand, and a perfect replica of Alviss Totem Pole staff appeared in it.

"But now you have a new problem," the other Zexion said. His book flipped open, and the pages began rustling ominously.

"Which one of us-"

"Is the real one?"

A flurry of pages suddenly shot from one of the Zexions' books. Alviss' shield snapped up, and the pages clanged off.

"Weapon ARM, Thirteen Totem Pole, Staff!" Alviss shouted, and as soon as he felt the cold steel in his hand he brought it up to block the other Zexion's strike, who had charged at him.

The two staffs clanged against each other, but Alviss couldn't do much more than block. The other Zexion was still relentlessly firing pages at him, keeping him pinned down.

The other Zexion assaulted with his replica staff, and it didn't take too long for Alviss to become overwhelmed. The Zexion spun around, his staff whipping into Alviss' back and knocking him forward. Alviss' shield dipped, and he winced as the razor sharp pages shredded at his exposed chest, arms, and legs.

Alviss attempted to ignore the pain and bring his focus back to the fight, particularly how he was going to deal with the situation at hand.

Alviss pushed himself to his feet, slung his shield over his back, and, making sure that the Zexion that was still firing pages was behind him, turned to confront the other.

Alviss and the other Zexion clashed, their staffs spinning as they struck at the other's exposed points. Now that he had both of his hands free to duel with it was clear that he was the superior fighter, but he still had the other Zexion to worry about, and it took all of his concentration and skill to keep dueling while making sure that he kept his shielded back to the stream of razor sharp pages that Zexion was relentlessly firing at him. It was probably the most intense and the most difficult fighting that he'd ever done – and being a veteran of the first War Games, that was definitely saying something.

Alviss swung at Zexion, who blocked, spun around and placed his palm near Alviss head. Alviss winced again as more scenes blurred his vision as they raced through his mind. Not this again – what trick did Zexion have up his sleeve now?

Alviss forced the racing visions from his mind. As soon as his vision cleared, Alviss realized that Zexion's defenses were down. Zexion's eyes widened in horror as Alviss slashed across Zexion's torso, noticing almost immediately that something was wrong. His staff passed through him with almost no resistance – it was as though Zexion was made of air. The defeated Zexion – whose face was still frozen in a look of complete shock – shimmered slightly before completely fading away.

Alviss could still feel the force from the pages that were still ricocheting off of his back, meaning that the other Zexion was alive and well. In one swift movement Alviss grabbed his shield in his left hand and swung around to face the remaining Zexion, who had thankfully ceased his barrage of pages for the time being.

"So that was a clone?" he said. "Impressive, but stupid."

"Stupid? Hardly," Zexion said. Then, responding to the look of confusion on Alviss' face, said, "Oh, I see. Let me guess – you think that you were somehow able to glean valuable information about me that you'll now be able to exploit, leading to my defeat?" Zexion shook his head, frowning. "How delusional. The simple fact is that you have been playing into my hand this whole time. I have more than enough of your memories to defeat you now." He snapped his fingers, and he suddenly disappeared in a massive cloud of smoke, and as soon as the smoke cleared Alviss found himself staring down not one, or even two, but six different Zexions, two of whom were brandishing replica staffs, two who had replicas of Alviss' Thirteen Totem Pole ARM in their grips, while the fifth was clutching a replica of Alviss' Guardess. The sixth Zexion had his usual lexicon open in his hand.

"Wait, now there's six of him?" Ginta said, counting the Zexion's on his fingers. "This is unreal."

"You're telling me," Nanashi said, slightly worried. "I think that our man has finally met his match."

"I'm sure that your remark is offering him a great amount of encouragement," Babbo chastised. "We need to encourage the boy, not dash his hopes!"

"Come on, Alviss!" Snow cheered. "Give them all you got!"

Alviss listened with a faint feeling of gratefulness to his team, but he couldn't help but feel that the situation looked bleak. He had expected Zexion to be strong, but even he didn't expect this. All six of the Zexion's had equal magical power levels – which meant that either Zexion was able to replicate his magical power (which surely was impossible) or, much more likely, his power level was so high to begin with that even after splitting it six times he was unbelievably strong. It seemed that the other Chess Pieces had finally caught on to how powerful the newcomer was as well. Alviss could hear anxious muttering from their side of the field. He glanced over, and noticed the look of shock and awe on all of their faces – except for Luxord, who was the sole person that looked completely unfazed. In fact, it looked like he was quite enjoying himself.

"Do you see now why it was unwise to bet against me?" Luxord remarked to Ash.

"I didn't think he was strong enough to beat Alviss!" Ash defended. "I mean, before the match his power level was miniscule!"

"And the thought never crossed you mind that he could be concealing it?" Galian said, shaking his head. "You call yourself a Knight…"

Alviss forced his attention back to the six Zexions. Alviss looked them over, hoping for some identifying sign of the real one, but it was no good – they were all perfect copies.

"As you have undoubtedly guessed, I can only be defeated if you attack the real me," the Zexion with the lexicon said.

"I can make clones indefinitely," one of the Zexions with a staff said.

"I can only surmise the emotions that you feel right now," one of the others said.

"Anger?"

"Fear?"

"Frustration?"

"Despair?"

Alviss gazed over the top of his shield, his eyes darting between the six Zexions who had begun to circle around him menacingly. He did not like the situation one bit. He'd been in bleak situation before, but this one definitely took the cake.

The two Zexions clutching staff replicas suddenly broke off from the group and charged him. Alviss knew that he couldn't fight defensively anymore. He was completely outnumbered – all defending would do is prolong the inevitable. No, he had to give it his all – no holding back.

Alviss took a step towards one of the approaching Zexions, who struck with his replica staff. Alviss blocked with his Guardess, then swiftly turned and parried a strike from the second staff-wielding Zexion, sending him stumbling into the sand. He immediately switched his attention back to the other, and summoning all of his strength pushed forward with his shield.

The two struggled momentarily, but then the Zexion stumbled backwards. Alviss continued pushing, forcing the Zexion off of his balance and sending him tumbling into the sand.

Alviss sprinted by him, his sights set on the other four Zexions. Alviss was used to making lightning fast observations, and he used the few precious seconds he had while running towards them to figure out the Zexions' strategy.

The four other Zexions were at the far end of the field. The two Zexions with the replicas of Alviss' Thirteen Totem Pole had lined up together in front of the other two. The Zexion clutching his lexicon was in the back, while the one with the replica Guardess was standing in front of him. Alviss thought it odd that the Zexion with the lexicon was hanging back. Despite being a book, that lexicon was quite powerful, both up close and at range. But this Zexion didn't appear to be paying attention to the battle at all. He had his book wide open in front of him, and his eyes were darting rapidly back and forth across the page.

Alviss remembered that only one of the six was the real Zexion, and that that one was the one that had to be defeated.

Something clicked in Alviss' head, something that he should have realized immediately – the one with the lexicon was the real one. Why else would he be holding back, and leaving the others to guard him?

Alviss heard footsteps behind him – the two Zexions with the replica staffs were hot on his tail. But it was the deep rumbling that was worrying Alviss. One of the Zexions with the replica totem pole had activated it. A plume of sand erupted directly in front of Alviss, and Alviss had to throw himself sideways to dodge the giant stone totem pole that blocked his path.

Alviss rolled to his feet and parried another strike from a staff wielding Zexion, and immediately had to back flip as another totem pole erupted from where he stood only moments before.

Alviss paused for a moment in order to regain his bearings, then set off again towards the real Zexion, dodging left and right as more totem poles erupted all around him, which were successful at slowing him down, but not stopping him. The same couldn't be said of the other two Zexions, who like him had been caught in the forest of giant stone totem poles. Unlike him, however, they weren't nearly as adept at navigating through them. Every time one of them appeared to attack, Alviss was able to leap sideways just as another totem pole erupted between them.

Alviss kept moving, but it wasn't long before he realized that he had to change tactics. He was breathing heavily – his chest was aching from his numerous broken bones. It felt like there were daggers in his chest, and each breath sent them deeper inside him. Alviss was having to tap into his reserve magic just to stay on his feet. He didn't have too much more time.

Not only that, but the totem poles seemed to be beginning to zero in on his position. He was still able to dodge, but every time it was with a smaller and smaller margin of error. To make matters worse, Zexion had succeeded in doing what he had failed before – keeping Alviss trapped in the sea of totem poles. Alviss had never thought that he'd have been susceptible to his own technique, but the added danger of two staff Zexions was just too much – he couldn't fight and escape at the same time.

One of the staff Zexions suddenly leapt before him, bringing down a crushing blow that Alviss was only barely able to block. Alviss planted his heal and whipped his staff into the Zexion's torso, who, just like the one before, vanished into thin air.

"One down…" Alviss muttered to himself, but his victory was short lived. Alviss heard footsteps behind him. He spun around, only to catch a glimpse of steel as the second staff Zexion slammed it into his chest, sending Alviss flying backwards.

Alviss felt a large bruise forming in his chest, and he could taste blood in his mouth, but he swallowed the pain and pushed himself to his feet.

The staff Zexion was quick to press the assault, but he stopped once the ground began rumbling again.

Alviss, realizing his chance jumped forward, landing directly on the epicenter of the rumbling.

The Zexion look immensely confused, and Alviss braced himself as the totem pole erupted underneath him, pushing him high into the air. Alviss gripped the sides of the pole as hard as he could, and it took all of his strength to prevent him from getting thrown off at the top. But his plan had worked – he was out of the other totem poles' reach.

Unfortunately, it didn't take the staff Zexion long to realize the benefits of Alviss' position, and a few moments later he rose into view on another of the totem poles.

The two stared each other down, then they both launched at one anther, each one jumping from one of the massive totem poles to another as they met in midair, their staffs a blur as they clashed against one another.

Their aerial duel lasted for several minutes as the two deftly jumped from pole to pole, their staffs lashing out at one another. The fact that they were at least fifty feet from the ground did little to slow the battle – in fact the added danger seemed to have made the two fighters even fiercer. Alviss had to seamlessly switch from defense and offense as he struck at any part of Zexion that he could while blocking or dodging all of Zexion's attacks. There was no room for mistakes - at this height even a blow to the legs was enough to send him plunging to the ground – which at that height would almost certainly be fatal.

Even though Alviss was completely concentrated on the duel, he couldn't help wondering just how long the other Zexions were going to allow this to carry on for uninterrupted. As this though crossed his mind he glanced over to where the other Zexions were gathered, and many things happened simultaneously.

Alviss' balance suddenly shifted as the staff Zexion swept his legs out from under him, followed by a sharp blow to the stomach that sent Alviss tumbling off the totem pole.

Almost immediately a large stone section of totem pole crashed directly where Alviss had stood only a fraction of a second before.

Alviss spun in midair, his back being pelted by bits of stone as he grabbed for the nearest totem pole. His fingers found their way into one of the poles many etchings, and he held on tight.

Another section of totem pole grazed his back as it flew by and crashed into another of the totem poles. The second ARM wielding Zexion had finally had enough, and had taken to launching sections of totem pole at the two duelists. It was a tactic that Alviss had used many times before, and luckily this Zexion didn't seem to be as adept as he was – the stone sections seemed to have completely random flight paths – Zexion couldn't aim them at all. This meant that the staff Zexion was in as much danger as he was, and he was spending so much time dodging the friendly fire he had broken off his attack. Alviss hoped to use the chaos as a chance to get closer to the real Zexion – and hopefully end this fight.

Alviss released his grip and pushed off from the pole that he was hanging from. He fell several feet before grabbing onto another and quickly jumping again, before grabbing another, using this technique to control his decent. It wasn't long before he was back on the desert sand.

There air was thick with dust from the destruction, and while Alviss greatly appreciated the cover, he was also completely disoriented. He could barely see five feet in front of him – all he could see were the looming silhouettes of the nearby totem poles. But, judging from the direction that the sections were coming from, he was able to guess were the other Zexions were, and he set off at a sprint towards them, jumping over fallen totem poles and dodging the stone sections that would suddenly appear from the dust.

The ground shook as the totem poles began collapsing all around him. Luckily, the dust was beginning to thin – he was almost out.

A silhouette suddenly appeared beside him. Alviss turned and saw the staff Zexion materialize out of the dust, his staff raised to strike. Alviss blocked the strike, and the two locked staffs, each one pushing with all their might.

Alviss heard a loud groaning as one of the totem poles nearest them wobbled dangerously. It swayed sideways and began to tumble towards him. Alviss' arms went slack, and with a mighty thrust the staff Zexion sent Alviss flying backwards out of the path of the falling pillar. The Zexion looked horrified as he turned and saw the falling totem pole, and seconds later it crumbled on top of him, and the Zexion clone disappeared.

Alviss pushed himself to his feet and ran. He finally broke free of the dust and emerged out into the blinding light of the desert.

Alviss' gaze was immediately drawn to the four black coats that contrasted heavily with the golden sand. Hanging in midair above them was a multitude of stone sections; Alviss did a quick survey – he estimated about seventeen sections left. Alviss knew that the only way he'd be safe from the sections was to close the gap between them quickly - but he was at least thirty yards away from them – not an extreme distance, but one that was made all the more dangerous by the rumbling behind him. The other Zexion had triangulated his position, and was now sending more of the totem poles chasing after him.

Alviss put on an extra burst of speed, the balls of his feet sinking into the soft sand as he sprinted as fast as he could, barely out running the stone totem poles that were erupting mere feet behind him.

The other Zexion took the opportunity to hurl more of the stone sections towards him. They sailed by, crashing into the sand around him, but for such an easy target, Zexion was having a surprisingly difficult time hitting him. Not only that, but the rumbling of the erupting totem poles was getting more distant. Alviss glanced over his shoulder – the totem poles, which just moments ago had been flat on his heels, were falling behind. The stone sections were becoming less of a danger as well as they flew wildly off course. Alviss didn't even have to dodge.

Alviss, guessing what was happening, closed his eyes for a fraction of a second – just long enough to focus on the magical power levels of the two Zexions. He only got a split second look, but he could easily tell that they were much lower than before, and Alviss knew why.

Even though Zexion, and his clones, were able to replicate his ARMs and their abilities, the thing that they could not replicate was his familiarity with them. The two Zexions had made the same mistake that so many others had before – they had activated their Guardian ARMs instantly and immediately tried to push them to full power without allowing adequate time to synch with the ARM. Alviss hadn't noticed it before because their power levels were so high that it seemed like they had perfectly synched already. But it was apparent now that they hadn't, and thus lacked the efficiency and stamina necessary to continue using them at full power. Alviss grinned – they were no longer a threat.

Alviss finished them with two quick strokes of his staff – both of them disappearing as soon as he touched them. That only left two more – the one with the Guardess replica, and the one with the lexicon.

Alviss turned towards them, brandishing his staff. The Zexion with the shield ran out to meet him – but it wasn't this particular Zexion that had grabbed his attention.

The Zexion with the lexicon looked exactly the same as before – he was reading his lexicon intently, his eyes moving rapidly down the page. The only difference was that his free hand was now darting across the pages as well – almost as though he were trying to draw on them with his finger. What was he doing?

Alviss moved to confront him, but the shield Zexion cut him off. Alviss tried to dodge sideways, but the Zexion followed him, keeping himself firmly between Alviss and the real Zexion.

Alviss swung with his staff, hoping to be able to stun him long enough to run by, but the Zexion blocked with his shield. The Zexion sidestepped and swung up with his shield, catching Alviss in the chin and sending him stumbling backwards. Even though this Zexion hadn't synched with his ARM, Alviss knew that it required far less magic than his Thirteen Totem Pole, so this Zexion had plenty of magic to spare.

Alviss didn't, however. His muscles were growing more and more fatigued. The numerous cuts and bruises on his body ached with every movement, and his insides still felt like there was a fire burning from within. Alviss had to end this fight soon – or else he was finished.

Alviss once again attempted to attack the real Zexion, but the other was adamant at keeping him away. Alviss continued to duel him, his staff a blur as he attempted every technique he knew. Unfortunately the Zexion had the advantage – all he had to do was defend and wait for Alviss to tire himself out, which was a real possibility.

Alviss stabbed with his staff, and the shield Zexion pinned it to the ground. Thinking quickly, Alviss deactivated his ARM and flipped over the Zexion. Without looking back Alviss sprinted towards the real Zexion, his fist pulled back to punch.

The Zexion looked up just as Alviss was punching, and Alviss got a sinking feeling as he saw that he didn't look shocked or scared – he was grinning.

_Alviss' fist hit Zexion and continued right through, the Zexion disappearing into the air. This was the last clone._

Alviss spun around and saw with horror that the real Zexion – the one that had the Guardess – was standing right behind him. His grey lexicon had replaced his Guardess, and he stood with the book open wide, facing him.

"Abandon your hope!" he shouted, and Alviss suddenly felt weightless. His vision was quickly dimming as he fell backwards without ever hitting the ground. His thoughts swirled in his head – the last thing he remembered was hearing panicked shouts before he was finally consumed by darkness.

* * *

_Hope everyone doesn't mind the ending - you see now why I've made sure that Chapter 8 is almost done. I don't want to keep everyone waiting for this fights conclusion. Anywho, thanks again for reading. Any reviews are extremely appreciated. Feel free to PM me with any questions, and hopefully I'll have another post up real soon!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey everyone! It's good to be back with a new chapter update. Enjoy!_

* * *

Alviss was lying face down on the hard ground with his eyes closed. What had happened? Where was he? Wherever it was, it was cold and silent. His body ached very slightly, almost as though he was getting over a bad fever.

Alviss lay on the ground for some time, shivering slightly from the cold, his ears straining to catch any sound… any whisper.

He tried to think back to what he was doing before he passed out, but his mind was blank. He had no recollection at all of what had happened, but he felt intensely uneasy. He wanted to move, but he felt paralyzed. Not by any force, but by fear – fear that there was some ethereal presence that would sense his movement. He waited for some time, unwilling to move. Finally, and after considerable effort, he opened his eyes. He was in a great expanse of silvery fog that floated in all directions. He pushed himself shakily to his knees, only to be overcome with pain. Alviss wondered what was causing it, and it only took him a few seconds to find out.

Alviss' arms felt as though burning daggers were being dragged up them. He looked down, only to see with horror that his Zombie Tattoo was glowing red hot as it snaked around his wrists and arms, staining his skin red.

"No!" Alviss said, horrified. "It can't be...I thought that I had more time!" Alviss grasped his arms, unable to stop the tattoo that was relentlessly overtaking his body. It was over - all that he had fought for - his hope of ever being cured...gone.

"Alviss," a voice rang out - cold and clear and slightly amused, from somewhere deep within the fog, but at the same time it sounded so close that it could have been a whisper in his ear.

Alviss looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. He saw a human shape materialize in the fog, and it began to slowly walk towards him. Closer and closer it got until all of his features suddenly came into sharp focus. It was Phantom!

"The Zombie Tattoo has completely overtaken your body. You are now my slave," he said, a horrible grin on his face.

"Never!" Alviss shouted. "I'll never serve you! Weapon ARM, Thirteen Totem Pole, Staff!" he shouted, and as soon as the cold steel materialized in his hand he jumped to his feet and sprinted at Phantom, who began laughing evilly. Alviss took a wild swing, but Phantom merely side-stepped. Phantom held out his hand, and a blast of energy sent Alviss flying backwards. He landed on the mist covered ground and immediately leapt to his feet, his tattoo throbbing in pain. Phantom was already standing before him.

"Kneel before me," Phantom said, and to Alviss' horror his knees were pulled to the ground. He tried to lift his arms to strike, but they were glued to the ground. "You shall be finest apprentice, Alviss," Phantom said. "First, you shall kill Ginta, as well as all of Team MAR. Make sure that they suffer."

"I hate you!" Alviss shouted, glaring up at Phantom - but he had disappeared. "Get back here, Phantom!" he yelled, but Phantom was gone. Instead more silhouettes were materializing in the smoke. It only took seconds for Alviss to realize who they were. Ginta, Babbo, Jack, Snow, Dorothy, Belle, Nanashi and Alan were all standing before him, glaring down at him as though he were the scum of the earth.

"Look who it is," Babbo said. "The traitor."

"How could you?" Snow asked sadly.

"I'm not a traitor," Alviss said, hardly believing his ears. "It's my tattoo – it's taking control. Help, please!"

"They all hate you," a mysterious voice whispered in his ear. "They hate you because of your tattoo - because of who you are."

Alviss shook his head furiously, trying to knock the voice from his ear. He could feel something pulling on his earlobe.

"He's already got an earring too," Alan said, his voice layered with anger and disappointment. Alviss, whose hands were suddenly freed from the mysterious force that had kept them glued to the ground, lifted his hand to his ear, where a heavy silver earring was dangling.

"A Knight - that must have been his reward for betraying us," Dorothy said, glaring down at him with the utmost loathing.

"We never should have trusted him," Nanashi said, shaking his head.

"What a complete dirt bag," Belle squeaked.

"Please, you have to help me!" Alviss pleaded. "I'm not a traitor!" He looked into each of their faces, unable to accept the looks of hatred that they wore. His gaze finally fell upon Ginta, who had remained silent. "Ginta, you have to believe me!" he implored. But Ginta was staring at him with a look of complete hatred.

"I'll never help a Chess Piece," he said, and Alviss felt as though he had been stabbed. Everyone – even Belle – was convinced he had somehow betrayed them. Why was this happening?

"Babbo, Version One!" Ginta shouted, and he sprinted towards Alviss, who leapt to his feet, where he was barely able to bring his staff up to block.

Alviss slid back, his arms still raised in defense. What was going on? He wasn't a traitor. How come no one would believe him?

"Ginta, wait!" Alviss shouted, but Ginta was already running towards him, his Babbo Dagger pointed at his throat. Alviss parried the attack, and continued to block Ginta's swift string of strikes.

"Excellent," Phantom's voice rang from the mist. "Kill him. Without Ginta MAR will fall, and you will have served your purpose."

"So you're going to kill me now?" Ginta shouted with disgust.

"No!" Alviss shouted, blocking another strike. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Why should I believe you, traitor?" Ginta snarled. He swung down at Alviss, who blocked again, then jumped back, putting as much distance between him and Ginta as possible.

"You have to kill him to survive," a strange voice whispered in his ear. Alviss spun around to see who was talking, but there was no one there. "Can you do it? Can you really kill Ginta, the one who tried to heal your Zombie Tattoo? Can you really kill your friend?"

Alviss clutched his head and fell to his knees. "What's happening!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the mist. He looked up, only to see that the others had vanished.

"You're alone again," the odd voice whispered in his ear.

"I'm not a traitor," Alviss muttered to himself. He was shaking uncontrollably, and not just from the cold. He was terrified of what he would see next. "I would never... Ginta, why wouldn't you believe me?"

It felt as though he was waiting for hours - alone in the dark - but then he heard footsteps in the mist. He spun around, his heart beating fast. Was it Phantom, or was Ginta back to attack him again? He soon saw another shape materialize in the mist. It walked slowly towards him, and when it spoke Alviss could barely believe his ears.

"Alviss," the voice rang out. The footsteps got louder as the man got closer, and Alviss watched with bated breath as the figure's features slowly got clearer. He was tall and strongly built, with blonde hair and a blonde goatee. He couldn't believe it. It was the Boss.

"I never thought I'd see the day that you became Phantom's slave," he said, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm not...I'm not his slave," Alviss pleaded - he was so exasperated he was close to tears. "Please... Boss... you have to believe me."

"All I believe is that it was a mistake to ever have let a pathetic weakling like you fight for the Cross Guard," the Boss said. "You were a burden during the first War Games and you're a burden now." Alviss couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Boss was always like a father to him - how could he talk like this?

"I thought that I had left MAR in good hands," the Boss said. "When you summoned Ginta, I was so proud. But now I realize, you only did it so you could kill him yourself!"

"No!" Alviss shouted, tears streaming down his face. "We needed his help! I'm fighting alongside him!"

The Boss shook his head and turned away in disgust, refusing to say anything else.

"This is your reality…" the hidden voice whispered."…loneliness...isolation. Despised by your friends! You will forever remain in this eternal hate."

Alviss cradled his head in his hands, completely overcome with emotion. "Please, Boss... don't hate me like the others. I never wanted this tattoo! I never wanted to serve Phantom! I never wanted you to die! I just wanted to help! The day that you died was the worst-" Alviss stopped suddenly. Something wasn't right here. He looked up at the Boss, who was now glaring down at him. He looked real enough, but how could he be here? "You're dead," Alviss said, his eyes narrowing.

"Thanks to you," the Boss snapped. Alviss shook his head.

"You can't be here," Alviss said, much louder than before. He gripped his staff tighter. "I saw you die. I saw them bury you. You aren't real!" he shouted. He got back to his feet, and he saw that the Boss had disappeared, and standing right where he had been was Zexion, a shocked look on his face.

All of Alviss' memories came flooding back to him; The War Games, Organization XIII, and all of his fight with Zexion came rushing back.

"Nice try!" Alviss shouted, and he swung at Zexion, hitting him hard in the chest.

Alviss' eyes snapped shut as they were flooded with an intense bright light. The air was no longer cold - it was now a sweltering heat. Alviss opened his eyes slightly. He was back at the Desert Field. Zexion was slowly getting to his feet.

"That world..." Alviss gasped. He was still shaking from the intense ordeal he had been through. The pain from his broken bones and numerous gaping cuts surged through him, and his whole body ached – but that pain was nothing compared to what he had just endured. "That nightmare... it was all an illusion!" he spat. Zexion opened his lexicon and flipped it open. "I finally see through your lies, and without them, you are nothing!" Alviss shouted, and he sprinted towards Zexion, his staff tight in his hands. It was time to end this!

Zexion rose a few feet off the ground, his lexicon flipping wildly through its pages before it stopped near the end.

"I'm more than smoke and mirrors!" Zexion shouted. He threw open his arms, and massive purple balls of energy began to rain down from the sky. Alviss had no where to run. The energy was raining down all around him, impacting the sand and causing explosions of glass to pelt him, leaving gaping wounds. One of the balls of energy hit him in the chest, and just like before it turned his insides molten. He was thrown back from the impact, directly into the path of another blast, which bounced him into another, and another, and another.

By the time the attack was finished Alviss couldn't stand. He could barely breathe, and his mind was quickly going black. The last words that echoed in his mind where, "-the winner is Zexion!"

* * *

Roxas lay on his bed, absentmindly pulling on the silver bracelet ARM that hung limply from his wrist. He was back in the room with most of the other Nobodies, relaxing. They had another day off, and Roxas had feared that Saix would make them spend their day in the Training Gate again. Phantom had even recommended it, but Saix had flat out refused. Roxas had suspected it was because he would rather only wait one day for the next battle, instead of sixty. Saix had given everyone the day off, which meant that Roxas had spent the last eight hours bored out of his mind. Both Saix and Axel had been gone for most of the day, leaving Roxas alone with the others. At least the others had found ways to entertain themselves.

Luxord was busy building a scale model of Memory's Skyscraper out of his cards; Demyx was sitting on his bed with his sitar, his fingers dancing up and down the neck as he hammered out a solo; Zexion, Xaldin, and Xigbar were busy discussing the past match.

"He has quite a store of memories," Zexion said, consulting his lexicon. "Alviss has considerable knowledge of the people of MAR."

"Kind of a boring kid though," Xigbar said. He was upside down and reading over Zexion's shoulder. "Training… training… a fairy… more training. He needs to get a life."

"The question is - can we use his memories to help?" Xaldin asked.

"I've spent most of the day organizing them," Zexion said, turning the page with a wave of his hand. "I didn't have enough time during the battle, so they were pretty chaotic when I got them. But I think I've now got a working knowledge of the different factions of MAR, along with its geography."

"Good," Xaldin said. "At least we won't be wasting time trying to figure out the best areas for the Heartless to attack."

Zexion snapped his lexicon shut, his eyes narrowed.

"What's the matter with you?" Xigbar asked. "I've never seen you close a book so quickly."

Zexion didn't say anything, but moved away from Xigbar. He flopped onto a spare bed and flipped his lexicon back open. Xigbar teleported above him, his long ponytail obstructing the pages.

"You think we're wasting our time here, don't you?" Xigbar asked, grinning. Roxas noticed the other members stop what they were doing and tilt their heads towards the two. Zexion tried to ignore him, but he eventually realized that he couldn't escape from Xigbar.

"The Superior ordered me here, so I will do what he asks…" Zexion said, shifting the book out of Xigbar's hair so that he could read. "…but I am getting impatient. We've been here for weeks, and yet we haven't done away with a single of MAR's warriors - and it isn't like we've been devoid of opportunities. Phantom wouldn't let you kill that princess," he said, nodding at Xigbar. "And if Luxord took his fight seriously we probably would be rid of the farmer. Why did you leave out Jack's ARM at the end of your fight anyway?"

Luxord, who was putting the finishing touches on his model, smiled. "If I was going to be fighting at full strength, it would only have been fair to allow Jack the opportunity to do the same."

"Besides," Xaldin said, folding his arms. "It wasn't like you were able to finish off Alviss."

"I never got the chance," Zexion said, dismissing Xaldin's comment. "The fight ended too quickly, and besides, Alviss still had too much magical power. Anyway, I'm sure that Ginta would have interfered again. These War Games are ridiculous," he said, frowning. "If Phantom would simply launch an all out attack we'd be done by now. I requested a squad of Illusionists and Dragoons, but The Superior seemed to think that Saix's plan was more appropriate," he said, and Roxas could note a tone of disdain in his voice.

"Uh-oh," Xigbar said, grinning more widely. "It sounds like you're questioning Xemnas. Tsk, tsk. You think you'd do better as leader? Perhaps you want to start your own organization?"

Xigbar had gone too far. Zexion's lexicon snapped shut on his ponytail, and Zexion pulled it down, ripping Xigbar from the air and sending him painfully onto the ground.

"I always respect The Superior's judgment," He snapped. He got off of the bed and opened a portal. "And don't ever question my allegiance." He stepped inside just as Axel walked into the room. He glanced around, looking at the scene. Xigbar was getting up from the floor, his eye slightly unfocused, while Xaldin restrained Luxord, whose card tower had collapsed when Xigbar had fallen. Axel shrugged, decided that things looked normal enough, and turned to Roxas.

"Hey, Roxas," he said, waving at him. "You said you were able to get outside before, right? Can you show me how – I've been looking all day. I could really use the fresh air."

"Sure," Roxas said, happy to have an excuse to leave. He leapt up and followed Axel out of the room.

The two trekked down a flight of stairs – Roxas trying to remember what path he had taken, before something clicked.

"Wait, why don't we just use a Corridor?" he said, stretching out his hand. Axel, who appeared to have been lost in thought, looked down at him.

"What? Oh, going outside. Yeah, that was just an excuse to get you out of there. It's been awhile since we've gotten to hang out, and I need a break from the others."

"Oh," Roxas said, a little confused as to why Axel just hadn't said that. "So what do you want to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Axel said. "I was hoping we could find a big area to spar in. It's been awhile, and I want to see how much stronger you've gotten after the Training Gate."

"I think I know a place," Roxas said excitedly. He had been wanting to show someone his light pillars for awhile now. He rushed down the stairs, heading towards the cavernous room where he had met Rolan. The two finally emerged in the giant hall with the set of giant purple doors.

"This should work, right?" Roxas asked as he checked to make sure that the roof was high enough for his pillars.

Roxas suddenly felt something tug at his hood, pulling him backwards and pushing him up against the stone wall. He looked over at who had pulled him.

Axel had his back pressed up against the wall next to him, his finger held to his lips, his other pointing over at the purple doors, which were only a few feet away. Roxas noticed that the door was slightly ajar, and a thread of golden light was shining out from it, along with a pair of voices. Roxas nodded in recognition and tried to listen to what they were saying.

"-and their strength rivals even our Knights'. Phantom, do we really need their power to take over MAR?"

A long silence followed, and Roxas wondered who the voice was talking about, before Phantom finally answered.

"Tell me, Peta, what is it that you plan on doing once the Chess Pieces have conquered MAR?" Phantom asked. Roxas could hear nervous shifting before Peta finally answered.

"We will cleanse MAR of those unsuitable of existence," Peta responded. Roxas was sick at his callousness. Unsuitable of existence? He had only ever heard people talk like that when referencing Nobodies, but Roxas was pretty sure that Peta meant complete beings.

"After that," Phantom said.

"I shall serve you," Peta said respectfully. "Hopefully in helping to keep the many peoples of MAR under our rule."

"Be more specific," Phantom said. "In detail, what would your daily life be like? After all of the battles are over and won. Tell me, what would you do with your immortality?"

Another long silence followed. Roxas looked over at Axel, who shook his head, indicating that they should keep listening.

"I'll tell you what I foresee, shall I?" Phantom said. "I see myself surrounded by the luxuries of life. Plenty of food, clothes, and the most powerful ARM I can imagine. And let me tell you something, Peta. I cannot think of a more boring existence," he said, his voice slightly maniacal.

"I don't quite understand," Peta said, slightly taken aback at Phantom's sudden change in tone.

"You and I - as well as many of us Chess Pieces – we are warriors. We will not tolerate the tedium of peace. There are always battles to be won – worlds to be conquered."

"Worlds?" Peta asked. "Sir, what other worlds are you talking about? Are you considering invading Ginta's world?"

"Not just Ginta's world, Peta," Phantom said. "For a long time I've wondered if MAR was the only world in existence. It was back with the arrival of the one they call the Boss that I realized that there was another world that was separate from our own. I thought that it might only exist as a mirror of ours, that there were only two worlds in existence. I feared that, with time, I would fall into the immense pain of peace. With no more worlds to conquer, what would I do? Then the Nobodies arrived. They are clearly not from MAR, and I doubt that they share the same world as Ginta," Phantom said, and his voice was beginning to sound harsh. "This is more than just chance, Peta. If there are three worlds, why not four, or five, or a thousand? All worlds that are ours for the taking. The Chess Pieces won't just stop with MAR – we will rule the universe!"

"But sir – that is impossible. Our forces our limited – even I think that this is beyond our scope. Just look at the strength of the Nobodies – surely there are more of them back in their own world. It would take all of our forces to assault them, and even then we aren't assured a victory. And how are we even to travel to these other worlds?"

"That is where the Nobodies come in," Phantom said, his voice back to its soft tone. "The time that the Nobodies have spent here has not been wasted, and I'm close to finding out all that I need. Why else do you think I'd have accelerated the War Games? I've been staling just long enough to learn what I need. Know that I've studied them, we can proceed. The War Games are the first step. We have much more work to do."

"So that means that you've found how to manipulate their powers?" Peta asked.

"For the most part," Phantom said. "I've at least learned that there are indeed a great multitude of worlds, and that the Nobodies are able to travel to them at will. I've almost learned the secret to their power, and once I discover what is holding me back from replicating it, we can proceed."

"And what shall we do with the Nobodies?"

"Once the games are over, we will eliminate them."

Roxas' heart sped up as he heard footsteps approaching the door. He looked over at Axel, who, realizing that their time was up, had opened a portal. He grabbed Roxas by the arm and pulled him through.

Roxas stumbled out into a narrow hallway in a part of the castle that he'd never been to.

"Eliminate us," he said as Axel stepped out of the portal, the Corridor closing behind him. "Phantom's going to betray us!"

"He's just been using us this whole time," Axel said, punching the wall. "I knew that something was up." Axel set off down the hallway at a brisk pace. Roxas jogged to catch up.

"Where are you going? We need to tell Saix."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Axel said. They reached a door at the end of the hallway, and Axel threw it open. It opened onto a large, circular, outdoor balcony. Dark storm clouds were wrapped around it, and Roxas could barely make out some of the castle's many towers silhouetted against them. The sky above them, however, was clear, and the night sky was dotted with thousands of stars. Standing in the middle of the stone balcony was Saix, his arms outstretched as he basked in the light of the sliver moon above.

"Saix," Axel said. "I've finally got some information for you."

"Phantom's just using us," Roxas said. "He wants to replicate our powers, and he plans to kill us all when he's done!"

Saix breathed deeply, and when he spoke it was with his usual calm voice.

"Relax," he said, shocking both Roxas and Axel. "I've been aware of this for some time now. I've realized from the beginning that Phantom would attempt to double cross us. Do you not think that I've taken all necessary precautions?"

"But Phantom-" Roxas said, but Saix cut him off.

"I can assure you that our power far outclasses Phantom's. All of us are completely safe."

"Are you sure, Saix?" Axel asked, folding his arms. "This is a huge gamble. Phantom seems convinced that he can beat us. He's hiding something, too. He's far too confident – he has to have a plan."

"Trust me, the odds are in our favor. Remember, half of our forces are still at the castle, including all of the Lessers. We'll be fine," Saix said. "You two should focus on completing the mission. Prepare for you matches, and make sure to eliminate your opponents. Get back to the room and get rest, you'll need it for tomorrow."

Roxas, whose worries were far from alleviated, knew that it was pointless arguing with him. He opened up a portal back to the room.

"Axel," Saix said. "I need a word with you – alone."

Axel looked over at Roxas, shrugged, than walked over to Saix. Roxas walked into the portal, and he could have sword that he heard Saix mutter 'Zexion' before he was transported back to the room.

* * *

Ginta had been prepared for a nice, long break between the fifth and sixth matches. That's why he was shocked when Pozan announced that they'd only get one day to heal, and the sixth match would begin the following day, barely giving Alviss any time to recover and forcing Snow to use her Healing Angel ARM, leaving her exhausted.

"Man, the one time I wanted to have some time off," Ginta complained loudly. Team MAR had gathered in the castle's library (save Snow, who had went to bed early), where they hoped to catch some rest before the following day's match.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Jack said, yawning loudly from a large chair he was reclining in. "We've almost always had a few days off between matches. Why not now?"

"I'm not complaining," Nanashi said. He took a long gulp from the tankard he was holding and smacked his lips loudly. "I'm sure if there wasn't a match tomorrow Gaira would just make us spend more time in the Training Gate. Either way we would be working."

"I'm quite happy with the situation, actually," Dorothy said, flipping to the next page of the book on rare ARM she had found in the library. "The sooner we fight the sooner the War Games will be over. Oh, Ginta look at this one!" she said, shoving the book under his nose and pointing at the Guardian ARM she was looking at. "That one's really rare. Hey, after the War Games you and I should go looking for it!"

"You should take the situation a little more seriously," Alan said gruffly. "This is a lot more unusual than you realize. During the last War Games Phantom took his sweet time, extending the tournament for as long as he could. There's definitely a reason that he's accelerating the matches, and whatever that reason is can't be good for us."

The room fell silent. Ginta knew that the others were all thinking about exactly what Phantom was planning. Could it be an all out assault? Had Phantom grown tired of the War Games and decided to unleash his entire army? Almost all of the Cross Guard had been eliminated in the Preliminary Round. The Cross Guard was the only army of MAR that would openly oppose the Chess Pieces. With the Thieves of Luberia dead and Kaldea in ruins, there would be no one left to fight.

"I know that everyone's thinking this, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it," Babbo said. He bounced over to the center of the room and gave everyone a meaningful look. "This has to having something to do with Organization XIII."

Ginta instinctively looked over at Alviss, who was standing in the corner of the room, apart from the others. He had his arms folded, and he appeared to be lost in thought, and Ginta knew why.

No one knew exactly what had happened when Alviss had been sucked into Zexion's lexicon. Ginta remembered being awe-struck when both of them had disappeared into the book's pages. He had wanted to run over and help, but Pozan (who was just as confused as anyone) instructed that the battle was still going on (to his knowledge, at least), and that any interference would result in an immediate disqualification.

Ginta desperately wanted to know what Alviss had experienced, but Alviss wasn't telling. He hadn't said a single word since he awoke after the battle, and no one, not even Belle (much to her distress) could get him to talk.

Alviss had been acting strangely too. He spent most of his time nervously checking his Zombie Tattoo, and the only time he looked up was when he'd glance at the others, almost as though he was making sure they all were still there, and even though Alviss was usually a loner, he now seemed to fear being alone – he'd follow the group wherever they went, and would make sure that he was never by himself. Whatever Zexion had done had scarred him deeply, and that made Ginta hate Organization XIII all the more.

"…their magical power is quite extreme, too," Dorothy said. Ginta snapped out of his thoughts, turning his attention to the ongoing conversation. "Even Luxord was close to Knight level."

"I just hope that they don't get any stronger than Zexion," Ed said nervously. "There's no way I could protect the princess from one of them."

"Don't worry, I've got your back," Ginta said, slapping the dog on his back. Ed glared at him, causing Ginta to take a few steps back – obviously he hadn't forgiven Ginta for accidentally kissing Snow during their first encounter.

"Well, whatever the reason is, we had better be prepared for anything," Alan said. "Keep your ARM on you at all times, and stay alert. I wouldn't put it past the Chess Pieces to launch a surprise attack."

"But what do we do if there is an attack?" Ginta asked. Since Alan was a veteran fighter and an officer in the Cross Guard, he hoped that he'd have some sort of plan of action, since there was no way that Team MAR could take on the Chess Piece Army and Organization XIII alone in an all out battle.

"I've already got a strategy," Alan said, much to Ginta's relief. "But it'll take far too long for me to explain, and it's late enough as it is. Get some rest, you'll need it."

One by one they said good-night and filed out of the room. Ginta's head was buzzing with questions, but his eyes were drooping and he had a headache. Only himself and Nanashi had optioned out of using Snow's Healing Angel (for her sake), so he was still sore from his battle against Ash. He was going to need some sleep if he was going to be effective the next day.

Ginta made his way to his room (Babbo following behind), and collapsed on his bed, where he almost instantly fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning to a knocking on his door. He half-heartedly opened an eye, and he groaned in response to the muffled voice permeating the door. He was still pretty tired, but at least his headache was gone. Still, his bed was very comfortable – perhaps just a few more minutes?

His bedroom door opened a crack, and Snow's voice drifted in. "Ginta, if you don't get up soon you'll miss breakfast," she said softly.

Ginta perked up almost immediately. Unfortunately, Babbo hadn't realized this, so he took it upon himself to jump onto his back and proceed to hop on it.

"Up you get, servant!" he said. "We need a good hearty breakfast if we're going to defeat our opponent today. Come on, Ginta, people are counting on us!"

Ginta flipped onto his back and grabbed the ARM's head.

"I was about to get up you idiot!" he shouted, and he hurled Babbo at the wall, imbedding him in the stone.

Babbo unstuck himself, and more out of insult than injury pushed back at Ginta.

"How dare a servant treat a gentleman in such a manner!" he shouted. "You should be thankful that I was looking out for your well being! I could have just let you go hungry, but than that would have reflected poor leadership on my part!"

"I'm not your servant!" Ginta shouted.

Snow, hoping to break up the fight early, stepped in between them.

"Um, boys? There's only twenty minutes until the next match. You had better hurry if you want to eat."

Ginta and Babbo looked at each other, silently agreed that food was much more important than their current argument, and followed Snow down to the dining hall.

They ate quickly, but even so they were barely making their way into the courtyard as Pozan tossed the dice for the match.

"The Sixth Match will take place in the Mushroom Field. Each team will be allowed six participants!"

"About time you showed up," Alan grunted as the three caught up to the group. "There allowing six of us to fight. I'm going. Who else is volunteering?"

"I am, definitely!" Ginta shouted, eager to start.

"Me too," Snow said. Alan looked slightly worried, but Snow gave him a determined look, and Alan relented.

"That's three," he said, turning to the rest of the group. "We need three more."

"If Ginta's going you can count me in!" Dorothy said. Ginta could have sworn that he saw Snow's eyes narrow, but it could have just been his imagination.

"I'm ready for another rumble," Nanashi said, stepping forward.

Jack followed behind him, but Alviss beat him to it.

"I'll take the sixth slot," he said calmly, finally breaking his silence. Alan looked him up and down.

"You sure you're ready?"

"Of course he's ready!" Belle said indignantly. Alan stared at Alviss, waiting for his response.

"Positive," Alviss said confidently.

"Well, if everything's settled, we can begin immediately," Pozan said. "To the Mushroom Field!"

The six fighters were engulfed in light as they were teleported to the next battleground.

The first thing that Ginta noticed was that the ground seemed awfully squishy. He glanced down and let out low whistle. The six of them were inside of an enormous hollow tree that was filled with building sized mushrooms, one of which they were standing on now. In the center of the hollow was an even bigger mushroom – at least a hundred yards in diameter. That must be where the battles would be taking place.

"Wow, this is cool!" Ginta said, jumping up and down on the mushroom.

"I didn't know mushrooms got this big," Babbo said, an awestruck look on his face.

"They must have been grown by magic," Snow said.

Alan seemed less enthused about the mushrooms. He was gazing across the hollow, frowning. "We've got a problem," he grunted, and everyone looked in the direction he was staring.

The other Chess Pieces had assembled on a similar mushroom on the opposite side of the hollow. Ginta immediately picked out three black coats among the group.

"There's three of them," he said slowly. "That is a problem."

"We should decide now who's fighting them," Alan said. "Both Alviss and Snow have already fought against the Organization– they shouldn't have to go through that twice, so we can count them out. Which just leave's the three of us."

"You mean the four of us," Ginta corrected. He was eager to test his skills against them, and get his revenge for what they did to Snow and Alviss.

"No," Dorothy said sternly. "It's too risky."

Ginta opened his mouth to argue, but Alan cut him off.

"She's right. You're too valuable, Ginta. Remember, you're the team's captain, meaning that if you lose, we all lose. We have no idea how strong they are – we can't risk it."

Ginta frowned. He knew Alan was right, of course, but he still didn't like the idea of his friends risking their lives instead of him. He should be in just as much danger as they are.

"So that just leaves Alan, Dorothy, and me," Nanashi said. He clearly wasn't pleased with the lineup, but he didn't complain. "Which of us is going first?"

"We have a bit to think about it," Alan said. "They aren't fighting first." He pointed to the middle of the field, where the largest of the Chess Pieces had jumped down to the center mushroom and was looking up expectantly at Team MAR.

"I guess I'll go first," Ginta said, taking a step forwards. Alviss, however, had already jumped down without saying a word, and Ginta, who still wasn't sure that he was back to normal, looked on.

Compared to Zexion this Chess Piece was massive. He had broad shoulders and beach ball sized fists. He wore a large blue gi and large, red, spiked shoulder pads. He had a beige hood, and he wore an oval mask that had a red eye shaped marking in the center.

"The first battle of the sixth match will be between Alviss of the Cross Guard and the Knight Kouga, of the Chess Pieces," Pozan said. "Begin!"

Kouga didn't waste any time starting.

"Weapon ARM: Daimonji!" he growled in a deep, gravely voice. A massive, bladed five-stared weapon appeared in his hands, and he lunged towards Alviss, slashing at him with Daimonji.

Ginta knew Alviss too well to think that this would give him much trouble, and sure enough Alviss swiftly ducked and swayed as he dodged all of Kouga's attacks.

"Weapon ARM: Thirteen Totem Pole, Staff!" Alviss shouted, and his familiar silver staff appeared in his hands. Ginta thought that it looked quite fragile compared to Kouga's giant Daimonji, but it held up against Kouga's massive blows, and Alviss' skill eventually won out – the two locked weapons, and Kouga, unable to free himself, swung upwards, tossing Alviss high into the air.

Alviss reoriented himself and landed softly behind him, and with one quick slash was able to send Daimonji flying from Kouga's hands.

"Alright!" Ginta shouted, pumping his fist into the air. "Alviss is back with a vengeance. This fight sure ended fast – that has to be a record or something."

"I'm glad to see that he hasn't let his last battle get to his head," Babbo said, smiling slightly. "If only my own apprentice was as focused…"

Ginta opened his mouth to argue, but before he could Dorothy spoke.

"Something's off," she said, her eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked.

"I sense it too," Nanashi said, his voice just as serious. "Our man Alviss might have a problem on his hands."

"What do you mean?" Ginta asked impatiently.

"Kouga's magical power is too low," Dorothy explained.

"And his form is terrible," Nanashi added. "He's leaving himself way too open – hell, even Jack has more skill than this guy."

Ginta turned his attention back to the battle. Kouga had pulled himself to his feet, and Alviss was quick to take advantage of his momentary disorientation. He stabbed with his staff, hitting Kouga in the face and sending him flying backwards. He landed hard some twenty feet away.

"Tell me something," Alviss said as Kouga struggled back to his feet. "How was someone with your magical power able to get promoted to a Knight? You're strong, I give you that, but the Chess Pieces have never put too much value on physical strength. What, have you just never had a difficult opponent before?"

"I might have weak magical power," Kouga grunted. "But at least I'm wise enough to realize that an opponent is not likely to show their full strength at the start of a fight. Dimension ARM, Quicksand!" he shouted, and the section of mushroom that Alviss was standing on transformed into a swirling mass of quicksand. Alviss struggled fruitlessly, and his situation was made worse when large brown tentacles erupted from the sand and coiled around him, pinning his arms to his sides and preventing him from moving at all.

"Don't even try to struggle," Kouga said, chuckling slightly. "Even if you had my strength you won't be able to free yourself. I'd let you surrender, but-"

"Guardian ARM: Thirteen Totem Pole!" Alviss shouted, interrupting Kouga. Multiple large totem poles erupted from the ground, and Kouga didn't even attempt to dodge as one of them rose up directly underneath him, tossing him high into the air.

Kouga landed hard enough for the whole mushroom to shake, and Ginta was convinced that the battle was finally over.

"He's got to be beat now! That was a direct hit!"  
"I wouldn't be so sure," Dorothy said slowly. Sure enough, Kouga slowly pushed himself to his feet again.

"Thirteen Totem Pole!" Alviss repeated, and more totem poles erupted from the mushroom, and once again Kouga was thrown high into the air, but once again Kouga would struggle back to his feet, apparently unharmed.

Alviss repeated the attack again and again, but much to Ginta's amazement, Kouga refused to stay down.

Alviss, desperate to cause some damage, separated his Guardian into segments before hurling them at him. He got a direct hit, but Kouga resolutely remained standing. Not only that, but he proceeded to pick up one of the sections and hurl it at Alviss, who was helpless to get out of its way.

Ginta could barely watch as the stone cylinder flew towards him. Snow looked away, but Alviss wasn't giving up so easily. He quickly dismissed the ARM, which disintegrated in a burst of light seconds before impact.

"As you can see, I am far too solidly built to be defeated by physical attacks," Kouga said nonchalantly. "You, however, are far too susceptible to them. Weapon ARM: Centipede!"

Kouga's ARM shown with light as it attached itself to his right arm, the ARM itself taking the form of a long, bladed centipede that ended with large, hooked fangs. Kouga proceeded to whip the giant weapon at Alviss, who was unable to do anything other than endure.

"I can't watch," Snow said, turning away. Ginta had to admit that this was difficult to watch, and it took all of his willpower to prevent himself from going to Alviss' rescue.

Kouga finally relented, giving a very battered looking Alviss a moment to breath.

"You should be thanking me. I'm giving you the face of a warrior," Kouga grunted. Alviss cocked an eyebrow. "Would you like me to show you the face of a warrior?" Kouga asked. He reached up and removed his mask, revealing his face, which was heavily scarred and mutilated. "This is the face of a true fighter," he said, grinning. Ginta noticed that he was missing several teeth – this guy had definitely been in more than a few brawls.

"Do you see the difference?" Kouga said as he replaced his mask. "Your face is so fair – so handsome. Yet it takes a face like mine to endure the horrors of battle. And it's not just the face, you see. Ever since I was young I was tormented for my appearance. I grew up friendless. I could only devote my time to getting stronger. But that didn't stop the pain… and after years of neglect, you become used to it. The pain makes you strong. That is why I loathe you so," he said, frowning. "You have never experienced what I have. You, as well as the rest of MAR, shall pay. I will not rest until I have stamped out all of this worlds beauty, for it is only through destruction and pain that you can grow strong!"

Kouga reached back, preparing to strike again.

"Thirteen Totem Pole!" Alviss shouted, and one of his totem poles erupted underneath him, ripping him for the quicksand's grip and throwing him high into the air. He immediately dismissed the Guardian and summoned his staff.

Kouga roared with anger as he lashed out with his Centipede. Alviss stabbed with his staff, and starting from the Centipede's mouth ripped it from head to tail.

The ARM disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Kouga stood, appearing dumbfounded.

"I could have escaped anytime that I wished," Alviss explained as he calmly walked towards him. "I just wanted to measure your magical power level once it had time to charge. Just so you know, it's nothing compared to Zexion's. This battle is as good as won."

"You people and your magic," Kouga snarled. "You rely far too much on what is gained so easily. How about you fight without it, like I do? Let's do away with our ARM, and see who the better fighter really is."

"Not a chance," Alviss said as he gave his staff a twirl.

"That's what they always say," Kouga grunted, holding up a silver ring. "Nature ARM, Fog!" he shouted, and it proceeded to belch out copious amounts of thick, grey fog, which quickly concealed the entire mushroom from view.

"I can't see a thing!" Ginta shouted as he scanned the fog, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alviss.

"Is he going to be alright?" Snow asked.

"I don't know," Dorothy said. "That fog does more than conceal; it also suppresses magical power. Alviss won't be able to use any ARM at all."

"He's supposed to fight Kouga without any ARM?" Nanashi said. "I don't envy him."

Ginta listened hard, hoping to hear something that would tell him how the battle was going. He could hear loud slaps, as though someone was getting punched repeatedly. Ginta hoped that it was Alviss doing the punching…

Ginta waited with baited breath for a solid minute, unsure of how his friend was faring. Suddenly the fog billowed out, blown away by some unknown source. Ginta scanned the field, and immediately picked out Alviss, who was engulfed by a blue aura.

"Not bad," Nanashi said. "Alviss released all of his magic at once, and it was just enough to overcome the effects of the fog. He never ceases to surprise me…"

Alviss summoned his staff and sprinted towards Kouga, who was so overcome with shock he didn't react. Alviss easily overwhelmed him, his speed and strength greatly increased by his magical power. Kouga was tossed around the mushroom like a rag doll, and Ginta was sure that after a while even he would be unable to get up, but Kouga eventually was able to put enough distance between himself and Alviss to have time to raise up a silver pendant.

"Guardian ARM, Kung Fu Frog!" he shouted breathlessly, and the pendant transformed itself into the least intimidating Guardian Ginta had ever seen – a large red a purple frog.

Kouga quickly leapt up onto the frog's back, safe from Alviss' assault.

"You're magic has made you faster," Kouga said. He sounded much more confident now that he was safe on his Guardian. "But this Guardian is the fastest around. There's no way you can win!"

Alviss looked unconvinced, as was Ginta. How could a stupid frog be the fastest Guardian ARM in existence? He was quite surprised then when the frog ran forward at impossible speeds. It was so quick that Ginta had difficulty tracking it.

Apparently so did Alviss, as he was unable to dodge when the frog lashed out with its massive pink tongue, which knocked him back halfway across the mushroom.

"You see?" Kouga roared triumphantly. "When it comes to battle, looks are meaningless. It is only strength that matters, and it is impossible for a pretty boy like you to defeat me!"

"Wrong," Alviss said. He confidently held up a silver chain. "Guardian ARM: A Baa Qu," he said calmly, and the chain flew up into the sky before transforming. The chain emitted large amounts of black clouds, and a massive, grotesque skull slowly descended from them.

Ginta looked up in awe as a dark energy erupted from its mouth, revealing a massive yellow eye concealed within. Alviss snapped his fingers, and a small sliver of light shot from its pupil. It hit Kouga square in the chest, and the light expanded, encasing him and his frog in a giant sphere of light.

"You think that you're the only one who's had a difficult life?" Alviss said coldly. "There are plenty of people who have been through hard times, I should know," he said, and Ginta saw that he wore the same expression he's had for the past day. Ginta knew he was still thinking about Zexion's lexicon. "But you are right about one thing, Kouga," Alviss continue calmly. "Looks don't matter. There are plenty of good looking people who are evil, and there are plenty of ugly people who are good. No, what matters is the appearance of your heart, and your heart is one of the ugliest I've ever seen. Burst." Alviss said, and copious amount of dark smoke filled the sphere, which slowly cracked, than burst with a loud explosion.

Kouga was thrown high into the air, completely off of the mushroom. He landed hard a hundred feet below, and Ginta was sure that this time he wasn't getting up.

"The winner is, Alviss!" Pozan shouted, and Alviss calmly leapt back up to the rest of the team.

"I was going to kill him," he said. "But I think that living with himself is a far worse punishment.

"Either way, you did well," Nanashi said, slapping him on the back. Alviss looked slightly annoyed, and he strode to the back of the mushroom, where he quietly waited for the next battle.

"The second battle will begin momentarily!" Pozan shouted. Ginta turned to the others.

"So, whose up next?" he asked.

"Definitely not you," Alan said. "It looks like the next match will be against someone from Organization XIII." He pointed across at the other mushroom. It looked as though the three members were arguing amongst themselves, with one of them clearly not wanting to go next.

"This one's mine," Dorothy said, and before Ginta respond she had jumped gracefully down onto the center mushroom and waited for her opponent.

"Good luck!" Ginta shouted after her. She was going to need it.

* * *

"Get out there," Xaldin said, pushing Demyx off of the mushroom. Demyx yelped loudly as he fell, and he ended up sprawled face down on top of the giant mushroom. Demyx untangled himself from his coat and struggled for a moment to throw off his hood, which had wrapped itself around his face. He looked up at Dorothy, who looked as though she didn't know what to make of him.

Demyx scrambled to his feet and turned around.

"Come on, Xaldin, can't we talk about this?" he pleaded, casting a worried look over his shoulder. "Isn't there someone more – qualified?" he said, his voice panicked. "Axel, what about you?" he added hopefully.

"You're not getting out of this. You will be fighting," Xaldin ordered. "And make sure that you don't hold back. If I see you slacking off I'll make sure that The Superior inflicts the maximum punishment."

Demyx gulped. He didn't want to fight, but he didn't want to be turned into a Dusk, either. Xaldin was unofficially known as the Organization's enforcer, so Demyx knew that his threat was genuine. If he didn't perform to Xaldin's standards he could easily get Xemnas to turn Demyx into a Dusk, or else get the go ahead to perform some other punishment of his choosing. Slowly he turned to face his opponent, who had her hands on her hips.

"You ready yet?" she said impatiently. Demyx didn't say anything, and slowly took his position opposite her.

"The second battle will be between Dorothy of Team MAR and Demyx of Organization XIII. Begin!" Pozan shouted.

Demyx just realized that Dorothy already had her weapon in hand – it was a long silver broom with a large curved blade attached to it. Not wanting to be left completely unprotected, he raised his right arm into the air and focused on his element.

Streams of water began to rise up from the ground, focusing into his hand. Once he had gathered enough of his element it transformed, and Demyx closed his hand around the familiar neck of his trusty blue and yellow sitar.

"A guitar?" Dorothy scoffed. "You're going to beat me with a guitar?"

"It's a sitar!" Demyx said indignantly. "And look whose talking; you've just got a broom!"

"Just a broom?" Dorothy said, smiling slightly. "I'll show you what this broom can do. Wind of Zephyrus!" She shouted, swinging her broom forward and conjuring up a mighty wind.

"Oh no!" Demyx said. He tried to dodge, but the wind caught him in the chest and blew him backwards several feet, leaving him teetering dangerously at the edge of the mushroom.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Demyx squeaked, and he jumped away from the edge, returning to the relative safety of the middle of the mushroom.

"Um, so hey, Dorothy, how about we change the rules a bit? We don't have to fight, right? We could have a music battle, or see who makes the best shadow puppets or something…"

"You're not exactly what I expected from someone from Organization XIII," Dorothy said, ignoring him. "I can't believe I was worried. You're pretty pathetic."

Demyx's face fell, and he hung his head with shame. Xaldin cleared his throat behind him, and Demyx remembered his threat.

"Hey, I can be strong when I need to be," Demyx said with faux-confidence that fooled no one. The rest of Team MAR began laughing, especially Dorothy, who was clutching her sides. Demyx frowned - he didn't like Dorothy – she reminded him of too much of Larxene.

Dorothy finally stopped laughing. She pulled a ring off of her finger and held it up.

"You think you can take me? Let's see then," Dorothy said. "I'll start you off with something easy – a Pawn would have no trouble with this. Guardian ARM: Ring Armor" she shouted, the ring transformed into a short, living suit of armor. Demyx eyed it fearfully.

"Hey, I thought that thing had been destroyed already?" Demyx said, hoping that it was perhaps some illusion and not the real thing. "That blue-jelly-eyeball-thing ate it!"

"True," Dorothy said, smiling slightly. "But Ring Armor is one of the most common ARM in MAR. Do you really think that I wouldn't have a few spares lying around?"

The Ring Armor bent low to the ground, like a runner at the starting blocks, as it waited for Dorothy's command.

"Go get him," Dorothy said, pointing at Demyx, and the armor took off towards him, its metal hands balled into fists. Demyx turned on his heel and ran.

"Not good, not good!" Demyx shouted, the armor clanking loudly behind him. He heard laughter from Dorothy and the rest of Team MAR.

"Demyx!" Xaldin growled, and Demyx could hear the danger in his soft voice. "Stop fooling around. You can either fight her or you can fight me, take your pick."

Demyx didn't need to think very long. Reluctantly he skidded to a halt and turned to face the armor, which was approaching fast. It punched hard, and Demyx blocked with his sitar. He spun around and whipped the large, heavy body of his sitar into the armor, sending it tumbling backwards. It got slowly back to its feet, and Demyx was relieved that it didn't seem too keen on chasing after him anymore.

"So you do have some fight in you," Dorothy said derisively. "Not much though. You really are a weakling."

Dorothy's words elicited the same memories that came up whenever Larxene bullied him, and Demyx knew what he should be feeling, even though he couldn't feel anything at the moment. He knew how his complete self would have reacted, at least – hurt and ashamed. He never did have too much confidence, and it didn't help that everyone was constantly reminding him of it.

"Hey, you don't have to be so mean!" Demyx said, his voice cracking.

"How in the world did Organization XIII ever accept you?" Dorothy said, shaking her head. More memories of Larxene flooded his mind – of her laughing at him during meetings; tripping him in the halls; snapping all of his sitar strings with her knives… Demyx finally decided that he'd had enough.

"Silence, witch," he said, his voice cold. Dorothy's eyes narrowed.

"Ring Armor, attack!" she shouted, and the armor charged him again.

"Dance water, dance!" Demyx shouted, and he summoned more of his water. His fingers danced up and down the neck of his sitar, and the water that surrounded him transformed into large musical notes, which flowed around him.

The suit of armor stopped, its metal helmet looking between the notes that had surrounded him. Suddenly the musical notes condensed, growing sharper, before they spun around rapidly, slashing into the metal guardian and knocking it back and forth between them.

The suit of armor began to chip as the water forms slashed at it, and it eventually collapsed onto the ground under the massive weight of the water. It shown with light before transforming back into a ring.

The water forms set their sights on Dorothy, who looked mildly shocked at Demyx's skill. She raised her broom, its curved blade facing the oncoming rush of water forms.

Dorothy swung her broom, slashing clean through the forms that had surrounded her. The water forms weren't that easy to defeat, though; they simply flowed around her broom, reforming completely unscathed and ready to attack.

"Ugh, these things are really annoying!" Dorothy shouted as she swung fruitlessly at the water forms. Realizing that her tactic wasn't working, she retreated backwards. The water forms turned to follow her.

"Broom of Zephyrus!" She shouted, and she swung her broom forward, emitting a massive gust that blew the water forms away, where they crashed onto the ground into large puddles.

Demyx had been so involved in his music that he had barely realized that his water forms had been defeated, and it was only when he felt the change in his magical power that he looked up, only to yelp in shock. Dorothy was approaching fast, her broom accelerating towards him.

"Uh-oh!" Demyx shouted, and he quickly strummed a chord, sending multiple large geysers of water erupting around him.

Dorothy swerved off course, dodging the geysers and leaving Demyx safe – for the moment. Demyx, however, didn't want to be anywhere near her. He played an ascending series of notes, and a series of geysers lifted him up and propelled him forward.

He landed twenty feet away, but when he turned around he saw that Dorothy was hot on his tail. He quickly played another chord, sending more geysers erupting violently around him, once again causing Dorothy to veer of course.

Knowing that he couldn't keep running forever, he played a series of notes while concentrating on his element.

"Water!" he shouted, and he strummed another note. Dorothy looked up as many large balls of water fell from the sky. Unable to dodge, Dorothy was pelted by the water, knocking her off her broom and soaking her to the bone.

"You got me all wet!" she shouted angrily as she struggled to her feet and scooped up her broom. "Look at me, I'm soaked!"

"I'm tougher than I look, huh?" Demyx said, grinning. Dorothy did not look amused.

"Broom of Zephyrus!" She shouted, swinging her broom forward angrily. Demyx yelped loudly as the gust of wind blew Demyx back several feet, knocking the wind out of him and sending him skidding dangerously close to the edge.

"Not again!" Demyx moaned, glancing over the edge and immediately getting vertigo. He rolled sideways, distancing himself from the edge. He reluctantly staggered to his feet and turned to face Dorothy. Unfortunately, Dorothy still seemed furious at him, and she had taken advantage of Demyx's few moments of confusion to sneak up on his side.

"Broom of Zephyrus!" she shouted, and once again Demyx was tossed sideways before landing painfully on the top of the mushroom.

Demyx quickly scrambled to his feet this time, and he didn't even bother trying find where Dorothy would be coming from. He picked a random direction and strummed on his sitar, propelling himself forward on a stream of geysers. Dorothy, who was still one stepped ahead of him, landed in front of him, her broom raised to strike.

"Broom of Zephyrus!" she shouted before Demyx could react, and he was hurled backwards again. He landed hard and rolled several feet before finally coming to a stop. He felt a few fresh bruises on his legs and arms, and his body ached from getting tossed around so much. This was exactly why he hated fighting – he was never very good at it, and it always resulted in him getting hurt.

"Why did Saix think I was a good choice for this mission again?" Demyx muttered to himself as he pushed himself to his feet. Dorothy was eager to keep the pressure on, and before he knew it she was racing towards him on her broom.

Demyx strummed his sitar, and line of geysers erupted between himself and Dorothy.

"That's not going to work!" she shouted, and she hopped off her broom and swung it, sending out another gust of wind that crashed against the geysers and sent them breaking towards Demyx.

Demyx strummed his sitar again, and the water that was swelling towards him flowed around him, leaving him unharmed.

"You can't use water to hurt me!" Demyx said proudly, strumming his sitar again so that more geysers would erupt around him. "And I can do this all day."

"Do what?" Dorothy spat. "All you've done this whole time is run and defend. How do you expect to beat me if you never attack?"

Demyx thought for a moment.

"I guess it is time for a new song," he said, shrugging. He strummed his sitar, his hands sliding up and down its neck as he played. A spiral of water began to swirl underneath his feet – a slow trickle at first, but as the song's tempo increased so did the water that was swelling upwards, lifting Demyx up until he was several feet off the ground.

"More music," Dorothy sighed. "This is getting ridiculous. So you're on a pillar of water – I'm terrified," she mocked. The rest of Team MAR laughed, but Demyx wasn't bothered – he was too focused on his music.

"Hello?" Dorothy shouted. "Aren't you paying attention? Are you even taking this seriously? Broom of Zephyrus!" she shouted, sending out another burst of air towards him. The pillar of water quickly swelled upwards around Demyx. The water rippled as it diverted Dorothy's wind gust around him before shrinking back. Demyx was completely unaware that Dorothy had attacked – he was still serenely playing his sitar on his water pillar.

Dorothy swung her broom again, and once again the water rose up to protect Demyx from the blast. Dorothy jumped on her broom and flew around Demyx, hoping to reach his exposed back, but the water surged and flowed with Demyx's music in such a way that it always was shielding him no matter where she attacked from.

"Is this all that you can do?" Dorothy said, landing on the ground in front of him with her hands on her hips. "What's your strategy – hide behind your water and hope I die of old age?" Dorothy let out a frustrated breath, before raising her broom, preparing to attack.

There was suddenly a loud snapping noise, like the crack of a bullwhip, and Dorothy gave a shout of pain as she was thrown backwards. She got to her feet, shaking her head.

"What was that?" she said, slightly dazed. There was another whip-like crack, and Dorothy staggered backwards, clutching her side. A large gash had appeared there, and it was already spilling large amounts of blood. The other members of Team MAR had finally stopped laughing. Everyone, even the gathered Chess Pieces, had their gaze affixed on the pillar of water supporting Demyx; two long tendrils of water had peeled away from it and were slowly flowing back and forth to the beat of Demyx's sitar.

The two tendrils lashed forth again, and Dorothy jumped sideways, dodging the first, but not the second, which snapped at her right arm, causing her to drop her broom. The first tendril whipped around and slammed into Dorothy's chest, throwing her backwards. The second tendril swept her fallen broom to the side, where it teetered dangerously over the edge of the mushroom.

Dorothy looked slightly panicked at the loss of her broom, and she scrambled towards it, but the two water whips lashed out, and she was only barely able to dodge them.

"Not bad," she said, and Demyx was glad to here that she had dropped her mocking tone. She was standing just outside of the whips' reach, clutching her injured wrist. "I'm actually pretty impressed. That water can be pretty lethal when it's compressed like that," she said, and she grimaced slightly as she slipped a ring onto her injured hand. "But let's see how good water is against stone. Guardian ARM, Birikin!" she shouted, and the ring shown with light.

The mushroom top shook suddenly, and Demyx was shaken from his trance. He looked up, and what he saw startled him so much that he lost his concentration. The water pillar trembled slightly before it splashed onto the ground, sending Demyx tumbling onto his back. He jumped up and began slowly backing away from the giant stone golem that was standing in front of Dorothy.

"What's the matter, scared?" Dorothy sneered. Demyx gulped. "First things first," Dorothy said. "Birikin, over there," she said, pointing over to her broom. The stone golem slowly ambled over to the edge of the mushroom, which began to fold downwards from the stone giant's weight, forcing the guardian to drop onto its knees and reach out to the edge, where it gently brushed the broom into its open palm. It got back to its feet and walked back over to Dorothy.

"Thank you, Birikin!" she said cheerfully, plucking the broom from its outstretched hand. "Now, back to business. Crush him," she said, pointing at Demyx, who was visibly shaking.

Birikin slowly walked towards Demyx, each of its giant footsteps causing the top of the mushroom to vibrate intensely.

If this had been a regular mission for the Organization, Demyx's first instinct would have been to summon a Corridor right then and there and head back to the safety of the castle. He'd report the giant monster and let someone else – like Xaldin or Lexaeus take care of it. Unfortunately, fleeing wasn't an option. If he did, he'd be turned into a Dusk, and then he'd never be able to play his sitar again – something that he would not let happen.

The stone golem was close now, practically within reach of one of its massive arms. Having no other idea what to do, Demyx summoned more water pillars to carry him out of the monster's reach.

Demyx didn't need to turn around to know that Birikin was following him – the trembling of the mushroom top announced its approach just as well. Demyx strummed his sitar again, and more pillars of water carried him out of the golem's reach.

Demyx suddenly remembered a comment that Xaldin had made during one of the previous matches – about how users that summoned a Guardian ARM were unable to move from the spot where they summoned it. Happy that he finally had a plan (and that he'd been paying attention), Demyx turned his attention to Dorothy, who was standing unguarded at the other edge of the mushroom.

Demyx realized that he probably wasn't going to get a much better opportunity than this. He summoned more geysers of water to carry him over to her. He was about halfway there when he heard great thunderous footsteps close to him. He looked just in time to see a massive stone hand rushing towards him before he was knocked clean back across the mushroom.

Demyx gave a shout of pain as he landed and began to slide. He was moving fast, much too quickly to stop, and the edge of the mushroom - and a hundred foot drop – loomed before him.

Demyx scrambled fruitlessly, his heels digging into the mushroom, but it just wasn't enough. He felt his legs drop out from under him and his stomach plummet as he slid off the edge.

His left hand instinctively lashed out, grabbing for the edge. His fingers wrapped around and dug into the mushroom, and he was jerked back so violently it felt as though his arm was going to be ripped out of its socket. He was barely able hold on as he dangled helplessly by one hand, his other clutching onto his sitar. Demyx reminded himself not to look down, immediately did so and felt sick. He wasn't a huge fan of heights, and he had the very unsettling realization that even his water couldn't reach him from this height. He was completely helpless.

The mushroom shook violently, and Demyx's grip loosened. Demyx hoisted himself up and peered over the edge. Birikin was slowly making his way towards him, the mushroom shaking with each thunderous footstep, causing Demyx's fingers to slide further down.

"That's it, I'm a goner!" Demyx said to himself. As soon as Birikin made it over to him he'd get squashed or tossed over the edge or some other horrible alternative that would lead to his demise. Perhaps he should just let go now and get it over with…

Demyx suddenly realized that the shaking had stopped. He peered back over the edge and saw that for some inexplicable reason, Birikin had stopped about halfway between Demyx and the center of the mushroom. Knowing that he probably wasn't going to get another opportunity, Demyx began swinging back and forth like a pendulum. It was hard work, and it didn't help that his sitar was so heavy, but he managed to swing himself up high enough that he could get his leg up onto the mushroom. He pulled with all of his strength, lifting the rest of his body and his sitar over the edge.

He landed on his back, panting heavily. He suddenly realized that he still had the stone golem to worry about, so he reluctantly got back to his feet. To his great surprise, Birikin hadn't moved from his spot. He had been completely helpless – how come Birikin hadn't taken advantage of the situation?

Something moving on the ground caught Demyx's eye, and he looked down. All of the water that he had used before was slowly trickling past him in tiny little streams that flowed off the mushroom. Demyx looked back over at Birikin, who had remained motionless.

Demyx understood now why the golem hadn't attacked him when he was at the edge. Birikin couldn't attack him – he was too heavy. Birikin was barely past the halfway mark and the top of the mushroom was already bending under its weight.

Demyx had an idea – unfortunately it involved putting himself in harm's way multiple times, but it was the only thing he could think of. Demyx summoned more geysers, which carried him over to Birikin and dropping him just out of the golem's reach.

Birikin swiped at him, missing Demyx by inches. Demyx instinctively leapt back, and it took all of his restraint to prevent himself from fleeing. Birikin took a single step forward and swung again, but Demyx had summoned more geysers, which carried him out of its reach. The golem seemed reluctant to follow him, so Demyx had more geysers carry him over, depositing him just out of the golem's reach. It swung again, but missed, and out of frustration took another step. Its next swing was so close that it grazed Demyx's coat. Demyx yelped loudly and jumped back, but he refrained from fleeing too far. Birikin, however, decided that it had given too much ground, and it refused to move another inch.

Frustrated, Demyx leapt back a few more feet. He needed to get the golem focused on something other than its position on the mushroom. He needed something to annoy it; something that was confusing enough that it wouldn't realize what was going on.

"Dance water, dance!" Demyx shouted, and he summoned more musical water notes. The notes quickly surrounded the golem and proceeded to slash away at it. They didn't do much damage, but Demyx was right in guessing that they were annoying enough to the Guardian to draw its attention. Birikin swung wildly at the water forms, which twisted and danced just out of its reach. The golem took a step towards them, but the forms flowed out of its reach again. It took another step, and slowly but surely the water forms herded the golem farther and farther down the length of the mushroom, which was flexing and bending under its weight.

Demyx waited patiently, his fingers dancing up and down his sitar as he instructed his water forms to lure the golem towards the edge of the mushroom. Dorothy, who had just figured out what Demyx was doing, shouted at the golem in a panicked voice.

"Birikin, stop!" she shouted, and the golem looked away from the water forms. It realized how dangerous its position was, but it was too late.

Demyx waited until Birikin had lifted up one of its massive feet before he attacked.

"Water!" he shouted, and numerous bubbles of water rained down on Birikin. Most splashed off of him harmlessly, but a good portion of them missed, and had now collected underneath the golem in a massive puddle, causing the mushroom to flex even more. The combined weight of the golem and the water proved too much for the top of the mushroom, which began to fold downwards. Birikin teetered backwards, and it flailed its arms as it desperately tried to keep its balance.

"Time to stage dive!" Demyx shouted, and he strummed his sitar rapidly, firing a machine gun like stream of massive bubbles, which hit Birikin square in the chest, causing the golem to finally lose its balance.

"No!" Dorothy shouted as the Guardian toppled off the edge of the mushroom. "Come back!" Dorothy shouted quickly, and there was a blast of light from beneath the edge of the mushroom, and the golem transformed back into a ring.

"I couldn't just let you destroy one of my strongest ARM," Dorothy gasped as she pocketed the ring. The rapid deactivation of her ARM had come at a cost though. She was visibly fatigued, and even though Demyx couldn't read magical power levels, he was sure that she had used up a considerable amount of it.

"You really are beginning to get on my nerves, you know that?" Dorothy said scathingly, and Demyx (who was reminded heavily of Larxene) took a few tentative steps back. He knew how dangerous this witch could get, and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath. Unfortunately for him, that was exactly what she intended to do. Dorothy grasped her broom in her hands, and Demyx prepared himself for another round of getting blown around.

"Let's finish this," Dorothy said, and she swung her broom. Demyx winced as he prepared for the gust of wind that would inevitably slam him in the chest, but it never came. He glanced up, and what he saw was much worse.

Dorothy's regular gusts of wind had collected and formed themselves into a large tornado that was tearing towards Demyx.

Demyx let out a yelp of panic, and he summoned another stream of geysers to carry him out of the tornado's path, but the spinning funnel of wind simple altered its course, once again homing in on Demyx.

"I'm sick and tired of you running!" Dorothy shouted, and she swung her broom again, summoning two more tornados to race towards him.

Demyx looked on hopelessly as the three tornados loomed before him. He had absolutely no idea what to do. He really wasn't cut out to be a fighter. He lacked the strength of Lexaeus, the brains of Zexion and Vexen, the skill of Axel and the adaptation of Xigbar. Demyx's specialty was reconnaissance – he was quite adept at sticking to the shadows and avoiding fighting, so why did the Organization insist on placing him dangerous situations?

The violent howls of the tornadoes fill his ears. Demyx was beginning to panic. Wind types were never his specialty – he always got creamed whenever he fought Xaldin in the Organization's regular checkups (of course, to be fair, most everyone else did too). Regardless, Demyx found that wind was too chaotic and difficult to control – that's why he preferred water – it flowed and grooved to his will just like his music. Perhaps that could be the witch's weakness?

Demyx could see Dorothy smirking triumphantly behind the tornadoes, her broom clutched tightly in her uninjured hand. If only Demyx could get it away from her; maybe then she wouldn't be able to control the tornadoes. It was worth a shot – and by the looks of how close the tornadoes where, he'd only get a single one.

Demyx strummed his sitar, and a line of geysers erupted beneath him and carried him forward. Two of the tornadoes rushed towards him, blocking his path and cutting off his escape. Demyx pulled on one of his still vibrating sitar strings, bending the note and causing the geysers to curve out of the tornadoes' paths, carrying Demyx with them.

Demyx strummed again, and the wave of water he was riding picked up speed, accelerating him past the two tornadoes, which were unable to turn tight enough to follow him. They'd soon be on his tail again, though, so he had to be quick. He still had the third tornado to worry about, anyway, and it was heading right for him.

He pulled on a string again, and the line of geysers curved. Demyx felt the sharp wind tear at his face and neck, but the geysers successfully navigated Demyx in an S-shaped pattern around the tornado.

He was close enough to Dorothy now to attack her. Unfortunately, all of the turning had slowed him down, and the other two tornadoes had caught up to him. He could feel an intense wind that threatened to pull him off the ground and to make matters worse, Dorothy had hopped onto her broom and was riding it away to safety.

Demyx attempted to summon another string of geysers to chase after her, but he was out of time. The three tornadoes behind him had merged into a massive twister, and the wind was so great that Demyx was easily plucked from the ground. Demyx held his breath and rapidly hammered out a series of notes, and a protective ball of water surrounded him just before he was sucked inside.

The wind inside of the tornado was intense, and it ripped and tore at Demyx and his shield, and it took all of Demyx's concentration to hold the sphere of water steady in the turbulent wind. He was getting rather dizzy too – the tornado was carrying his bubble around in circles, making everything a blur of color. His protective bubble held despite the howling wind and the constant turning, and even though it was rippling and flexing violently, the wind from the tornado couldn't penetrate it.

Demyx wasn't sure how long it would hold, and he was quickly running out of breath. He gazed out of the bubble, and even though the wind was intense, he could see a distorted image of Dorothy flying level with him, staring curiously at the ball of water he had summoned. She appeared to be waiting for him to suffocate. She wouldn't have to wait too much longer, either. Demyx's lungs burned furiously, and it took all of his willpower to prevent himself from trying to take a breath. Knowing that he was short on time, Demyx played a chord, and a blast of water shot from his bubble. The blast caught Dorothy by surprise, knocking her from her broom and sending her tumbling to the ground.

Demyx felt his stomach drop as the tornado slowed, dropping him to the ground. He landed with a loud splash, and as soon as he felt the water level drop below his head he began gulping down as much air as he could.

Demyx glanced sideways. Dorothy was slowly getting to her feet and by the looks of things her right arm was broken. Demyx smiled; at least she wouldn't be able to summon any more wind.

Demyx got to his feet, eager to press the assault. He played three notes on his sitar, and three heavy bubbles of water appeared above his head. He spun around, strummed another chord, and the three bubbles launched at Dorothy, splashing across her back and forcing her to the ground.

"You ready to give up?" Demyx asked her. Dorothy frowned, but she didn't say anything. She slowly pushed herself up to her feet, using her broom as a crutch. Demyx launched more bubbles at her, but she halfheartedly swung her broom, which was able to summon enough wind to knock the bubbles away.

"I think I've finally figured you out," Dorothy said, clutching her broken arm. "You control water, but your real skill is in manipulating sound."

"How'd you figure that out?" Demyx mocked as he strummed his sitar.

"You should be a bit more worried," Dorothy said, grinning maliciously. "Since I have the perfect way of shutting you down for good."

Demyx stopped playing. There was something about the way she had spoken that sent shivers down his spine. Demyx didn't know how he knew, but he could tell that she wasn't bluffing, and that whatever she had in store for him was going to be serious.

Dorothy smiled as she slipped a silver ring onto her finger. "Guardian ARM: Crazy Quilt!" Dorothy shouted, and the ring shown with light.

Demyx, who wasn't very eager to face a third Guardian, gulped loudly as he waited for it to appear, but what he saw didn't seem too intimidating. Hovering next to Dorothy's shoulder was what appeared to be a simple rag doll, complete with tattered dress, button eyes, and zipper mouth. The only threatening thing about it was the insane look that it had on its face.

"Hiya Dorothy!" the doll said, speaking very quickly. "Oh boy, you're using me again! That's twice in three battles – I sure am popular! So who's the bad guy, huh? Let me at him!"

Dorothy - whose exasperated look made it clear that she wasn't thrilled about having to use this Guardian - lifted a shaking arm to point at Demyx.

Crazy Quilt's button eyes darted quickly from her shaking hand, to Demyx, to the stream of blood that was flowing from Dorothy, and her zipper mouth opened wide in shock.

"Dorothy, you're hurt again! Why is it that you'll only use me when you're injured? If you would have summoned me earlier I could have kicked this guys butt in three seconds flat and you wouldn't be hurt!"

"Could you just finish this quickly?" Dorothy asked weakly. "I'm not sure how much longer I can last."

"Right-o!" Crazy Quilt said, one of her limp arms snapping to a salute. The Guardian then zoomed over to Demyx, where it hovered level to his face, its zipper mouth open wide.

"Ummmm…." Demyx said, taking a few steps back. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from the ARM, but he didn't like the crazy look in its button eyes. He was beginning to wonder exactly what power this ARM had when the most awful sound he had ever heard filled his ears. His hands snapped up to cover his ears, but the horrible sound forced its way into his head, clouding his senses and flooding his body with pain. He was vaguely aware of words being mixed into the noise, forming themselves into a very poorly written song. It was then that he realized that the sound was coming from the Crazy Quilt, who was singing at the top of its lungs.

"Shut up!" Demyx shouted, picking up his sitar and swinging it aimlessly, but the Crazy Quilt easily dodged, and had now taken to flying in circles around Demyx, so that its song was coming from all directions.

Demyx never thought that music could make him feel this horrible; he felt nauseous; his muscles ached and his head was throbbing, and he found it impossible to think straight. All he knew was that he desperately wanted to escape the sound. He strummed his sitar, but his head was so full of the song that he couldn't concentrate, and he only managed to summon a few weak geysers to carry him a few feet away, and the Crazy Quilt was quick to zoom over and resume its song, refusing to give Demyx a moment's peace.

"Sound's not so fun when its being used against you, is it?" Dorothy called, apparently enjoying Demyx's torment.

Demyx, however, wasn't listening. He had picked up his sitar and was now twisting the tuning keys at the top while periodically plucking different strings on his sitar.

"This is going to completely throw my sitar out of tune…" he muttered, but he really didn't have any other option.

Demyx was never the brightest member of the Organization (a trait that Larxene was always quick to remind him of). But if there was one thing he did know, it was acoustics. He was always ready to make noise, but he was well aware that he could combat sound with sound as well – something that he was hoping to exploit now.

"There, all finished," he said. He then closed his aching eyes and listened intently to the Crazy Quilt's song, memorizing every note that it sang.

"I think I've got it," he said, and he began to play on his sitar, his fingers rapidly dancing up and down its neck as he worked to precisely match the Crazy Quilt's tempo. Sweet silence engulfed him like a blanket of serenity, and he was flooded with relief as the constant noise finally ceased.

The Crazy Quilt looked immensely confused, as its victim no longer appeared to be affected by its song. It opened its mouth wider and sung louder, but it did no good – Demyx was completely unaffected as he jammed away on his sitar.

"That's impossible…" Dorothy said with disbelief. "How could someone with such low magical power resist Crazy Quilt?"

"Sound," Demyx said simply. Dorothy still looked confused (as did the rest of Team MAR), so he explained. "All I have to do is play notes that have the same amplitude - but the exact opposite phase - as that tone deaf doll, and my sound will negate hers. Smart, am I right?"

The Crazy Quilt, realizing that its one power was rendered useless, began to flee, but Demyx wouldn't let it get away. He backed up towards it, and once he felt their backs touch he spun around, slashing at the doll with one of the sharp points on the head of his sitar. He followed that up by swinging his sitar's massive body into the doll, sending it flying backwards, where it landed in a crumpled heap on the mushroom.

"Crazy Quilt, come back!" Dorothy shouted, and the defeated Guardian transformed back into a ring.

"I think I've got you beat," Demyx said as he retuned his sitar. Dorothy, however, looked quite stern.

"I didn't want to use this," she said, her voice tense. "I made a promise that I wouldn't kill anymore, but I've only got enough magic left for one more Guardian, and I'm not going to lose to you," she said coldly. She held up a silver pendant and shouted, "Guardian ARM: Rain Dog!"

Demyx knew exactly what that ARM was, and as it transformed into a huge silver dog he knew that if he could have felt emotions, he'd be terrified.

"Toto is my favorite Guardian," Dorothy said, and she patted it on the head a few times. "Because he's never lost, have you?" she cooed.

"How may I serve you, master?" The dog asked in a deep, booming voice. The dog, noticing Demyx, took a few steps towards him.

"Not yet," Dorothy said, holding up her hand, and the dog froze. "Take a good look, Demyx. This is what you're going to be fighting. Do you really think you can win?"

Demyx stared at the massive dog, his breathing short and fast. His eyes lingered for a moment on the dog's pencil long fangs and massive maw that could easily swallow him whole. He took a few more steps back.

It was true that Nobodies couldn't feel emotions, but that didn't mean that they lacked the desire for self-preservation. His body was still human after all, and right now adrenaline was coursing through his veins as his body prepared for him to fight or flee – and he was seriously considering the fleeing option right now. Demyx had had a very bad experience with a dog when he was younger, and the memory of that incident – and especially of the fear that his complete self had felt – came flooding back into his mind.

He had just turned ten, and his parents had presented him with the best gift he had ever received – a miniature sitar, one that was just his size. He played it for hours, day in and day out. He's sure he'd driven his parents crazy with all that noise, but that sitar became his favorite thing in life. They were inseparable. That was, until he saw his neighbor's dog gnawing on it. He remembered being horrified at the splintered remains of his sitar and at the horrible sound of the strings snapping as the dog's fangs broke them.

He's not sure why he did it. Thinking back, his parents easily could have got him another sitar, but his ten year old self wasn't thinking that. Before he realized what he was doing he had reached for his sitar, hoping to rescue it from the beast. It happened in just a few seconds – a flash of yellow fangs followed by a stream of red. He remembered crying in pain and fear as his parents rushed him to the doctor. He had been lucky, though. The dog's fangs had almost sliced clean through the artery in his wrist, and had been a quarter of an inch from severing a nerve. He hadn't known what that had meant as a child, but as the doctor had explained it to him, he realized that if it hadn't been for that quarter of an inch – if his nerves had been damaged - he'd never have been able to play music again, and that thought chilled him to the bone.

Even now Demyx could swear that he felt fear. Water; music; his sitar – all things that he came to define himself by. As a Nobody the only thing that he had was what he could hold onto from his past life. If he lost the ability to play his sitar… that is when he'd truly be nothing.

Dorothy, who seemed to think she had given Demyx enough time to think, spoke, breaking Demyx from his thoughts.

"I'm giving you a choice, Demyx. If you surrender now, I'll let you live. But if you insist on fighting, I will not hold back, and Toto will kill you. You should be thankful – there have been a lot of people before you who haven't been given this chance, so choose wisely."

Demyx whirled around, looking for Pozan. He had made up his mind – Xemnas could turn him into a Dusk, but that was a lot better than death. Hell, maybe if he ran now, the Organization wouldn't bother searching for him. He could spend all of his time playing his sitar. He'd still be a Nobody, but at least he'd be alive.

"Pozan, I-" Demyx said, but he was interrupted by a purple lance whizzing right by his ear.

"Forget turning you into a Dusk," Xaldin said, his voice cold. "We have no use for cowards, especially Nobody cowards – a complete contradiction, but one that you have managed to complete so succinctly. So let me make this easy for you – either you finish this fight, or I'll kill you here and now."

Demyx's eyes darted between Xaldin and the giant silver dog that was eagerly waiting to pounce. He really didn't know which was the lesser of two evils, but he had to make a decision soon.

"Look, Demyx, you shouldn't give up so easily," Axel said offhandedly. "You've made it this far, haven't you? You've already taken out that giant golem thing, and the way you beat that doll was impressive, to say the least."

Demyx raised an eyebrow. Axel and him and never really been friends, so why was he encouraging him? Was he actually trying to give him advice, or was he trying to get him killed – you never could tell when it came to Axel…

"Demyx, this really isn't that difficult of a decision. We all already know that if you fight Xaldin, you're going to get creamed." Demyx glanced over at Xaldin, silently agreeing. "But the jury's still out on that dog. Who knows, you might actually be able to win this."

Demyx thought that Axel made a good point. Demyx breathed deeply. He knew that he was going to regret this; he knew that this went against all of his memories and every fiber of his being, but he was going to do it anyway. He was going to fight.

Demyx slowly turned around and got into his battle stance. Dorothy laughed.

"After the way you finished Crazy Quilt I was beginning to think you were intelligent," she said, shaking her head. "Oh well, I gave you a choice. Sick him, Toto," she said, and the massive beast took off towards him.

Demyx tapped into all of his remaining magical power as he played the fastest and most complex arpeggio that he knew, summoning a giant waterspout to erupt around him, his fingers twisting and weaving as they worked to sustain the giant twister of water that was his only protection from the beast.

The giant dog slashed at the waterspout, but the water was moving so quickly it couldn't get its massive paw through. It slashed again, but the wall of water held firm, and the beast resorted to slowly prowling around it, periodically slashing with its sharp claws, to no avail. Demyx looked up from his sitar and saw the grotesque face of the dog staring back at him, its teeth and eyes distorted by the swirling water. One of Demyx's fingers slipped, and the water sloshed downwards as it began to cave in. He quickly made up for his mistake, and the water returned to its usual form. Demyx tried to bring his focus back to his music. He was safe; there was no way that dog could reach him. He took a deep breath.

The sound of the rushing water was immensely soothing. All Demyx could hear was the water and his own music. His body began to calm. His mind, being free from worrying about the battle, began to wander, and a very unpleasant voice filled his mind.

_"He's so pathetic," _Larxene's voice said, ringing in his ears. _"Why'd The Superior even let him join? He's so weak – turning him into a Dusk would probably be an improvement!"_

Demyx gritted his teeth. Larxene was always putting him down. Sure, he wasn't the strongest member, but he was at least strong willed enough to become a Nobody when he lost his heart, right? That wasn't something just anyone could do. He was a lot stronger than people gave him credit for, and it was time for him to prove it.

Demyx focused on his magic, letting it swell, then finished of his song with a forceful strum, releasing all of his magic and sending the swirling water around him shooting out in all directions.

The force of the water was enough to knock the giant dog sideways, and Demyx reacted quickly. He strummed his sitar again, and a series of geysers lifted him up and carried him past the giant dog and across the mushroom towards Dorothy, who was unable to move.

"Come on, keep to the beat!" Demyx shouted. He spun slashed twice with the sharp points of his sitar, then spun around, upper-cutting her with the sitar's massive body. She gave a shout of pain as she flew backwards, but Demyx wasn't done yet. He strummed his sitar, and a wall of water appeared behind Dorothy, knocking her back towards Demyx. He slashed at her again, then whipped the body of his sitar into her chest, knocking her backwards, only to have another line of geysers block her escape and knock her back towards him.

Demyx slashed at her a few more times, his hits perfectly in time with the beat of the music he was playing, before finally finishing off his combo by hitting her with the body of his sitar again, and following that up by a quick stream of geysers that pounded her, knocking her up in the air.

Dorothy landed in a crumpled heap. She attempted to push herself back to her feet, but the immense fatigue caused by the forced deactivation of her Guardian ARM combined with Demyx's combo left her barely conscious.

"The winner is, Demyx!" Pozan shouted.

Demyx could hardly believe that he had survived – and not only that, but won. A memory of the first time he had ever received applause for one of his songs flashed into his mind. He remembered how his complete self and jumped around on stage in ecstasy, and the Nobody couldn't help but recreate the memory.

He headed back over to the others, leaving Dorothy behind to be helped up by her now somber teammates.

"See, I told you that you could win," Axel said, slapping hands with Demyx.

"I still can't believe I won!" Demyx said happily.

"Congratulations," Xaldin said. "You get to live another day." Demyx's shoulders slumped.

"Man, what a killjoy," he said, pointing at Xaldin.

Xaldin frowned and folded his arms, but Demyx didn't care about his faux anger. He took his place back with the other Chess Pieces, who were now eyeing him with much more respect.

"The match is tied, one to one!" Pozan shouted. "Who's up next?"

* * *

_So, what did you think? Unexpected, right? I've been really looking forward to writing that last battle, and I've got so much more coming in the future. Please review, so I know what everyone thinks! Oh, and I've created a small forum of my own to answer some of the questions people have been asking me in their reviews. If your interested, feel free to drop by (the links on my profile page). My next chapter won't be nearly as lengthy, but hopefully the battles will make it just as good!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello again, everyone. Here's another update for you. It's a little bit shorter than my previous ones (hey, I can't keep uploading twenty pages each time!), but hopefully it's still good. Enjoy!_

* * *

The giant hollow had grown relatively quiet in the aftermath of Dorothy's and Demyx's battle. The howling winds of Dorothy's tornadoes and the endless crashing of Demyx's torrents of water had made the previous battle extremely chaotic, and it seemed as though both Team's were trying to make up for it by being almost completely silent as they prepared for the next battle. Of course, it could also be that they were all in shock at Dorothy's loss.

Ginta was gathered with the others on his Team's mushroom. He was using the few minutes between the two battles to try to make sense of everything.

Dorothy had lost, but Alviss had won. Each Team had one victory. There were still four more battles to go, though, which meant that the match could go either way. Ginta was growing a little nervous. He wasn't used to the matches being this close. Everyone was going to have to perform their best if they were going to pull off another win, which would stall the Chess Pieces' eventual assault for a bit longer.

Ginta looked over across the giant mushroom, which served as the locale's battleground, at the Chess Pieces – and the gathered Organization members. One of his teammates was going to have to win at least one battle against them if they wanted to pull off the win – which, judging from the past matches was going to be no easy task.

The three Organization members stood facing one another, their hooded heads moving slightly as they conversed. Slowly, one of them turned from the group. Demyx gave him a cheery wave as he jumped down onto the mushroom.

"Another one," Ginta said as the second Organization member strode to his position and stopped, his hooded gazed locked on Team MAR.

"Which one of us is going?" Nanashi said, glancing over at Alan, who looked grim.

"You take this one," he said, and Nanashi's shoulders slumped slightly. "The other one over there – the big one – it looks like he's in charge, so he's probably the strongest of the three. I'll fight him."

Nanashi's face looked stony as he turned to jump down.

"Nanashi, wait," Dorothy gasped. She was still hurt badly. Dorothy had refused to let Snow using her Healing Angel ARM (since Snow was going to need all of the magic she had for her next battle), but at Snow's insistence Dorothy allowed her to heal her enough to make her stable. She was still in a lot of pain though. "Don't underestimate this guy," Dorothy said seriously. "I can see now how Gaira lost his match. If you hold back even a little, they'll make you pay. Remember that."

Nanashi nodded slowly, his face determined. Obviously he wasn't in a joking mood – Dorothy's loss to Demyx had shocked everyone. So far three of Team MAR's members, including two of their more veteran fighters, had been beaten soundly by the Organization. Nanashi's confidence had been shaken slightly. To be honest, this was the first battle he'd been in where he'd been nervous. He quickly suppressed the emotion – he couldn't let nerves get to him now. He had to stay focused. He stoically made his way to the edge of the mushroom.

"Nanashi," Alviss said. Nanashi turned around slowly. He wished that the others would stop holding him up – the more he thought about what he was about to do the more he began to worry. "Here," Alviss said, holding out his hand, a small ARM clasped in it.

"What's this?" Nanashi said, as he examined the ARM more closely.

"A Holy ARM," Alviss said shortly. "It's a shield. You don't really have any defensive ARM. Hopefully you can make use of it. I have a feeling you're going to need it."

"Thanks, Alviss," Nanashi said as he pocketed the ARM. Alviss must really be worried if he was handing out ARM. It made Nanshi nervous. Nevertheless, he was grateful, and he gave a curt nod to his team before leaving.

"Good luck," Ginta said tensely as Nanashi leapt down onto the main mushroom. Nanashi strode to his position, and he couldn't help but feel that each step he took was a step closer to death. He forced the thought from his mind as well, and instead brought his attention to his opponent, who had lowered his hood.

His opponent had long, spiky red hair and brilliantly green eyes that had small teardrop shaped markings under them. He wore an expression similar to Nanashi – his eyes were narrowed slightly as they analyzed him.

Everyone could feel the tension between the two warriors as they waited for the battle to start.

"The third battle will be Nanashi of Team MAR versus Axel of Organization XIII. Begin!" Pozan shouted, and he swung his arm down, signaling the start of the match.

Nanashi immediately went on the offensive.

"Weapon ARM, Griffin Lance!" he shouted, and his fingers wrapped around the cold steel of his weapon, and he set off at a run, hoping to get to Axel before he had the chance to activate an ARM. Axel did not look impressed. He stuck out his arms, and what Nanashi saw chilled him to the bone. He skidded to a stop as two streams of fire shot in Axel's palms before exploding outwards, revealing two silver and red circular weapons that were ringed with eight silver points. It took Nanashi a few moments to identify the weapons as chakram. He had seen them before during some of his past raids, but he'd never seen them being used effectively. Something told him that wouldn't be the case this time. Not only that, but it looked like Axel was a fire user. This match could be tricky.

A voice suddenly filled Nanashi's head.

"_The warrior that defeated me fought differently," _Gaira's voice rang._ "His weapons were different, and he was able to manipulate fire."_

If how the ARM that this guy summoned was any indication, Nanashi was sure that this was the Organization member that had defeated Gaira.

Nanashi wasn't the only one who had realized this. All of his teammates looked just as stricken as he was.

"Could he be…?" Snow asked, not wanting to finish the question.

"His voice sounds the same as it did after the Preliminary match," Dorothy said grimly. She had managed to lift herself to her feet, and was leaning heavily upon Ginta for support. "It has to be him..."

"Without a doubt," Alan said grimly. "Perhaps I should have fought…"

Nanashi felt that their reactions weren't exactly a vote of confidence, but he had to admit that he almost agreed with them. He was a skilled fighter, no doubt about it. His losses in the War Games only came about from his unwillingness to harm the fairer sex. But Gaira was a trained warrior. Not only that, he was the commander of the Cross Guard. How was Nanashi supposed to compete?

By now even Axel had realized that something was up.

"Huh, it seems my reputation precedes me…" he said nonchalantly.

"You're the one that defeated Gaira, right?" Nanashi demanded. Axel reached back and scratched his red hair.

"That old man? Yeah, I beat him. What, you want revenge?" he said, grinning maliciously. "You're lucky I didn't kill the guy."

"What do you want, thanks?" Nanashi asked, trying to regain some of his usual swagger. "I hope that you don't hold back for me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Axel said, gripping his chakram tightly. He dropped down, lowering his center of gravity as he prepared to fight.

Nanashi realized that he couldn't stall any longer. He shifted his lance down, keeping it pointing towards Axel as he ran towards him. Axel apparently had been waiting for Nanashi to make the first move, as he too began sprinting, his chakram spinning dangerously.

Nanashi slashed wide with his lance, and Axel parried, pushing the lance aside with one chakram as he spun around and slashed with his other. Nanshi blocked with the tail end of his spear. Axel swiftly countered, his chakram grazing the top of Nanashi's hair as he ducked underneath.

Nanashi jumped back up, his lance a blur as he blocked and dodged Axel's strikes, and then countered with attacks of his own. Nanashi was a little bit shocked. He had expected Axel to be extremely powerful, but right now Nanashi was having no trouble sensing his attacks. The only difficulty was that Axel's duel weapon style made it difficult for Nanashi to defend. Of course, his own weapon had its advantages, too.

Axel slashed wide with his chakram, and Nanashi leapt back several feet. He stabbed at Axel's chest, his lance's superior reach giving him the edge. Nanashi took advantage of this by launching into a furious combo of stabs, which (rather predictably) Axel was able to block without trouble. Nanashi continued to thrust with his lance, hoping to stay out of reach of Axel's chakram long enough for him to synch with Gymnote. As soon as he had filled his Guardian with enough magic, Nanashi planned to summon it, and hopefully end the fight quickly. Unfortunately, Nanashi was beginning to tire. He was used to fighting for long periods, but not from this range and with this little magical power. He needed another way to stall.

Nanashi leapt back, his arms burning from fatigue. Axel jumped back as well, adding to the considerable distance between them. Nanashi wondered why Axel wasn't pressing his assault. Nanashi considered boasting his magical power enough to use his Electric Eye, but before he could Axel's chakram began spinning in his hands, and as they spun they coated themselves with flames, until it looked like he was holding two rings of fire in his palms. What amazed Nanashi most was that Axel hadn't even increased his magical power level yet. He didn't have time to contemplate, though, since Axel suddenly threw both of his flaming chakram, which tore towards Nanashi at blinding speed.

Nanashi barely was able to block in time, and the two chakram grinded against the steel, throwing sparks and smoke into Nanashi's face. Nanashi struggled against them. Amazingly, it seemed as though the chakram were picking up speed and power, and it took all of Nanashi's strength to prevent them from inching towards his throat.

"Well, this is taking longer than expected," Axel said calmly. Nanashi peered around the flames and saw Axel clench his fist. Nanashi's eyes immediately snapped shut as a wave of heat washed around him, followed by a fiery blast that knocked him from his feet and hurled him several yards. Nanashi landed hard, and he dug his fingers into the mushroom, slowing himself to a stop.

Nanashi pushed himself to his feet, examining the shiny red burns that ran up his arms. That was the price he paid for having his power level so low. Nanashi wedged his foot underneath his lance and kicked it up. He caught it and shifted its point towards Axel, who had somehow gotten hold of his chakram again, despite being twenty feet away from them when they exploded.

"You're not fooling anyone," Axel said. "Keeping your power suppressed isn't going to get you anywhere."

"You're one to talk," Nanashi spat. "You're keeping your strength hidden as well."

"Fair enough," Axel said with a small grin. "I guess I'll stop messing around."

Nanashi gasped. Axel's power level had suddenly exploded, easily doubling. Not only that, but he had surround his chakram in flames again, and was now running towards Nanashi, who quickly boosted his own level and ran to meet him.

Sparks flew as the two clashed, and the air soon became thick with flame and smoke. Nanashi was fighting with a lot more speed and intensity than before, and his increase in magical power helped suppress his muscle fatigue.

Unfortunately, Axel was fighting with even more ferocity than Nanashi was. Not only did his boost in magic increase his speed, but it seemed as though Axel's temper had flared up with his chakram; he was shouting as he slashed with his weapons, and his eyes burned with a fury that was not there before. Not only that, but he was now lashing out with any part of his body, meaning Nanashi had to dodge not only Axel's chakram, but the numerous kicks that Axel would chain together with his strikes.

Axel's swift movements made him incredibly hard to hit, even with Nanashi's superior reach. Every time Nanashi would lash out with his lance, Axel would deftly leap back and hurl another of his chakram, and while Nanashi was busy blocking that Axel would attack from the side, forcing Nanashi to roll sideways and lose his rhythm. No matter how hard he tried, Nanashi was always on defense.

Nanashi couldn't keep this up. Even with his increase in magic, he was beginning to tire, and the searing heat from Axel's chakram was beginning to ware him down.

"Nature ARM: Thousand Needles!" Nanashi shouted. The silver necklace he wore shown bright, and numerous glass needles blossomed in a ring around Nanashi. Axel leapt back, landing outside the needles' range, but he didn't do so unscathed.

"Not bad!" he shouted as he briefly examined the long gash that ran along his side. "My turn!" he shouted. The flames around his chakram grew, and he threw one of them, which grinded against the group of needles, chipping away at them. Axel spun around and threw his other chakram, and as he did the first jumped back into his hands, where it spun rapidly, picking up flames before he threw it again, repeating the process with the other. His attacks were so quick and powerful that in seconds he had almost completely chipped away at the needles.

"Nature ARM: Thousand Needles!" Nanashi shouted, and a group of needles erupted around him again. Axel wasn't intimidated.

"Got it memorized?" Axel shouted, and he slammed both of his chakram on the mushroom, which erupted in great pillars of flame that seared through the needles and exploded outwards. Another searing wave of heat washed over Nanashi, who was thrown backwards again from the force of the explosion.

Nanashi landed hard but he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"This is not good," he muttered as he picked up his lance. Axel was already rushing towards him, his chakram engulfed in flame. "Nature ARM: Thousand Needles!" Nanashi shouted, and a massive cluster of needles erupted from the mushroom. Nanashi focused more of his magic into his ARM, and the needles continued to grow until a massive twenty foot wall of crystalline needles separated him from Axel.

"This should buy me some time," he said. Nanashi swallowed the burning pain that ran along his arms and hands and put all of his concentration into synching with Gymnote. It was clear now that he couldn't overcome Axel in a straight up fight. He needed to summon his Guardian and hit Axel with everything he had.

Nanashi had just about half synched with Gymnote when a red glow emanating from the needles broke his concentration. Nanashi looked up, and now the glow was accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.

Acting fast, Nanashi increased his magical power to its very limit, and not a moment too soon. Just then Axel's two chakram broke through, showering Nanashi in shrapnel and flames. The two chakram curved as they flew towards Nanashi, who ran out of their path. The chakram collided, producing a massive explosion, and while Nanashi's magic absorbed much of the damage caused by the flames, he could still feel the searing pain wrap around his body before he was hurled away again.

It took a little bit longer for Nanashi to get to his feet this time, and when he finally was able to stagger to them he was sure he'd see Axel sprinting towards him. Axel, however, was standing far away from him, with one chakram gripped tight in one hand and the other swinging lazily from his fingers.

"You're pretty strong," Axel said. "I didn't think you had enough magic to survive that one. Your level is even higher than mine – for now," he said, smirking.

Nanashi knew what was coming, and sure enough Axel gave a loud shout, and red flames exploded from his body. Axel's magical power skyrocketed, surpassing even Nanashi's limit. To make matters worse, Gymnote was only three-quarters of the way filled with magic – which given Axel's present state, just wasn't enough.

It didn't look as though Axel was going to give Nanashi anymore time, either.

Axel stuck his arms out, and his chakram began to spin again, but this time the flames concentrated themselves into the middle of the weapons. Once two fist-sized balls of flame had formed, Axel brought them together in front of him. The balls of flame began to expand until they completely coated both chakram. With a loud shout Axel slashed upwards, and a massive, twenty foot high blast of flame raced across the ground towards Nanashi. He rolled sideways and felt the extreme heat from the pillars of flame pass beside him. He jumped to his feet, but Axel had collected more of the flames inside his chakram, and he slashed upwards again, summoning another racing stream of flame towards him. Nanashi was a little bit slower this time, and his right arm and leg got caught in the pillars' path. Nanashi suppressed a shout as his skin was burned, but luckily his magic had absorbed a bit of the damage. Nanashi struggled to his feet, but Axel was already sprinting towards him, his chakram surrounded in flame. Unable to think of anything else to do, Nanashi ran towards him, and the two met in the middle of the mushroom.

Once again the two dueled, but this time it was clear who the better fighter was. Nanashi's magic was at its limit, but Axel was now moving so fast Nanashi couldn't follow his movements. Perhaps if Axel had only been using one chakram Nanashi might have been an even match for him. But right now Nanashi was barely keeping up. Up close he couldn't do anything other than defend, and whenever he jumped back to try and gain some room to maneuver Axel, would throw one of his chakram, than rush in and continue his assault, slashing away as Nanashi blocked the thrown weapon.

Nanashi couldn't win – not like this. He desperately needed some breathing room, but Axel's unique mix of close and ranged combat made him a threat no matter where he was. Nanashi was going to have to use a gambit. He wasn't sure if it was going to work, but he did know that even if it did, it was still going to hurt.

Nanashi jumped backwards again, and immediately activated his Thousand Needle ARM, which caused a small group of needles to burst between himself and Axel. Axel shook his head, grinning slyly as he threw both of his chakram, which soared around the small patch of needles. Nanashi had been expecting this, though.

Nanashi turned his body sideways to present the smallest target possible. One of the chakram flew wide, but the other connected, and it sliced into Nanashi's ribs, tearing and searing flesh at the same time. Nanashi grimaced, but managed to keep his eyes locked on Axel, who was gazing at Nanshi with intense curiosity.

Things were already going better than planned – Nanashi had only been hit by one chakram, instead of both. But presenting a smaller target was only one reason why Nanashi had turned. Nanashi took a step towards Axel and suddenly slashed upwards, his lance sliding through his grip until it reached the very end. But those few extra inches were all that he needed, and his lance sliced Axel clean across the chest, leaving a wide cut. Axel stumbled back, shocked that he had been hit. This, still, was only a diversion.

"Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, and he raised his hand in the air. A large bolt of electricity shot directly upwards, where it formed into a shimmering ball which hung still in the sky, and Axel tensed as he prepared to dodge. He looked nervous for a moment as he eyed the ball suspiciously, but when it was clear that the ball of lightning wasn't going anywhere, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"All of that, and you didn't even hit me?" he said, shaking his head. His two chakram jumped back into his hands, and he shifted into an attack stance.

"Who ever said I was trying to hit you?" Nanashi spat, and with a loud shout he thrusted his spear skyward, stabbing the ball of lightning. Nanashi was dreading this next part.

Every muscle in his body convulsed madly as the electricity traveled down through his spear and into his muscles. It took all of Nanashi's focus to force his remaining magic into his hands, which insulated them from his now electrically charged spear, which was glowing blue and emitting a low hum.

Axel looked dumbfounded.

"Let's try this again," Nanashi said, and slightly more confident now, he dashed towards Axel. He slashed at the remaining needles he had summoned, spraying Axel with shards of glass.

Axel frowned, and swiped with a flaming chakram, which cut the shrapnel into harmless sand, before he charged.

The two met again, and as soon as their weapons connected sparks began to fly, and Axel jumped back in shock. He glanced at his chakram with a quizzical look on his face. Nanashi was quick to press the assault.

He slashed again at Axel, who blocked, and let out another shout of pain as another surge of electricity arched from Nanashi's spear to Axel's chakram, and then into him. Nanashi took advantage of his lack of defense by slashing at Axel's torso, than spinning around, slashing upwards again and finally knocking him back by slamming the tail-end of his lance hard into Axel's stomach. Nanashi was happy to see that Axel didn't look smug anymore.

"Fire isn't the only thing that can cause damage," Nanashi said with a small smile. This was the first time he'd been ahead this whole battle. Maybe he did have a shot.

Axel did not look happy.

"Not a bad trick," he said with mock admiration. "But lets see you shock me from over here!" he said, and he back flipped, throwing both of his chakram as he rotated, which burst into flame.

"Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, and bolts of lighting shot from the rings he wore on each hand. They impacted the chakram, halting them mid-flight. After a brief clash, the chakram fell harmlessly to the ground. Axel held out his hands, and the chakram rolled back towards him and bounced back into his grip.

"Anymore tricks?" Nanashi asked, an air of confidence in his voice. Now that he had found ways to counter both Axel's melee and ranged attacks, he was feeling much more at ease. Axel had given him a run for his money, but now that his back was against the ropes Nanshi had ample time to finish synching with his Guardian – and after he summoned Gymnote, the battle would be over. Not even an Organization member could withstand that.

"You're the Captain of a group of thieves, aren't you?" Axel asked. Nanashi was so taken aback by the random question that he couldn't help but nod his head.

"I've got people who answer to me too," Axel said, a glint of anger in his eyes. "Here's a little something I taught to my Assassins," he said, and his two chakram began coating themselves in flames again – and once again, instead of wrapping themselves around the weapons' circumference, they concentrated themselves towards the middle, where they formed two small balls of compressed flame.

Nanashi prepared his Electric Eye to counter, and sure enough, Axel threw both of his chakram, but this time he hurled them straight down at the mushroom top. What was even more amazing than Axel's sudden lack of accuracy was the fact that instead of clanging off, the two chakram seemed to absorb themselves into the mushroom, where they disappeared in a faint black haze.

"What the-?" Nanashi muttered as he frantically scanned the ground for the two weapons, which seemed to have disappeared.

"The number one rule about being an assassin-" Axel said, his eyes narrowed. "Never let your target see where you're coming from."

Nanashi wasn't exactly sure what Axel had up his sleeves. But he did see that Axel was now unguarded. He took a step towards him, but then stopped. It was way too easy. Axel had been fighting like an expert this whole time – there's no way he'd make a mistake that obvious now. Of course, that didn't mean that Nanashi couldn't try a ranged attack…

"Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, aiming at Axel. A ball of electricity collected in his palm, but a sudden burst of black caught his eye. He glanced sideways, and saw one of Axel's chakram erupt from the ground, leaving a plume of flames in its wake as it spun.

Nanashi dodged sideways, leaping far out of the chakram's range, but it came at a cost. The ball of electricity flew wide, completely missing Axel. But that was the least of Nanashi's worries.

Axel's first chakram hung in midair for a moment before sinking back into the ground and disappearing from sight. Another stream of black announced the arrival of the second, though, which had snuck up on Nanashi's side.

Nanashi back flipped, barely avoiding the second chakram's razor points as it erupted beneath him.

As soon as Nanashi landed he was on the run, his focus entirely on the two chakram, which only gave him seconds warning before erupting near him. He was singed more than a few times. He was constantly on the run, and the physical and mental exhaustion of having to make split second decisions was beginning to take its toll. Nanashi was exhausted – even more so than during his battle with Galian. At least then he had blind rage and determination to pull him through. This time it just felt as though he was only prolonging the inevitable. Axel's chakram were successfully herding him away from his opponent, and he was now so far from Axel that he wouldn't be able to hit him with his Electric Eye even if he tried. That was the problem with electricity; it was immensely powerful, but it was extremely difficult to aim. The farther he was from his opponent, the more likely the electricity would divert itself to the path of least resistance.

Nanashi suddenly realized that he was still gripping his electrified lance. A crazy idea popped into his head. There was a huge chance it wouldn't work, but he really didn't have any other choice. Anyway, it wasn't like his lance was doing him much good anyway…

Nanashi skidded to a stop. He found Axel in the distance, and then with a mighty throw he hurled his lance, which soared through the air. It had the aim, and the distance.

Axel didn't even flinch as the lance landed inches from his feet. He had his arms folded, and he wore a look of disdain.

"You missed," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Once again – I wasn't trying to hit you," Nanashi said coldly. He could see two black shimmers at his feet, but it didn't matter. He threw both of his arms into the air and activated his ARM.

"Electric Eye!" he shouted, and two massive bolts of electricity shot from his palms. Axel was too far away for Nanshi to accurately aim at, but luckily all he had to do was make it close. Both of the bolts flew across the mushroom, and they connected with Nanashi's lance, which was now so overloaded with electricity that it began to discharge; huge tendrils of lightning were flailing from it, cracking as they whipped about rapidly and filled the very air with electricity. Axel turned to run, but a mass of bolts latched onto him, and all of the electricity discharged.

Nanashi wasn't any better off. Both of the chakram erupted before him, and the spinning blades slashed at his shoulders and chest. Almost as though they had sensed that they had connected with their target, the red balls of concentrated flame exploded outwards, engulfing Nanashi in a fireball that scorched every inch of his body.

Nanashi's lungs were on fire, and each breath he took only fanned the flames. It felt as though every inch of his body was covered in burning flames. He coughed loudly, and he could feel blood in his mouth, and the surge of pain that accompanied each breath meant he probably had a few broken ribs, too. He forced open his stinging eyes and surveyed the battlefield.

Axel was on his feet, but only barely. His arms were hanging limply at his side, and his chakram hung limply from his fingers. Nanashi was glad to see that he'd finally caused some damage. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Nanashi had noticed Axel's magic dip immediately before he got struck by the attack. This meant that he took more damage, but now he had enough magic stored up to give him another boost in strength. Nanashi's heart sank as Axel's magical power level climbed, and Nanashi was once again astonished when it flew past its previous level. Axel had been holding back this whole time.

Nanashi stretched out his hand and deactivated his Griffin Lance, which shown with light as it transformed back into an ARM. He instantly reactivated it, its cold touch soothing his burnt hands.

"I've got to hand it to you," Axel said, and from the tone of his voice he was barely containing his anger. "That last attack really hurt. If I'd know that you were capable of that kind of strength I'd have gone all out from the very beginning. But now I'm done messing around," he said dangerously.

Axel sprinted towards Nanashi gritted his teeth and pushed himself back to his full height. Nanashi powered up what was left of his magical power. He reluctantly activated all of the magic that he had dumped into Gymnote (which was easily half of his maximum amount), and a surge of energy flowed through him, dulling the burning pain that engulfed his entire body and providing him with a second wind. He didn't know what good it was going to do him, but he had no other choice. He squared his shoulders and prepared to fight.

"Nanashi, wait!" Alviss called, and Nanashi glanced over at him. "Don't forget to use-" But his voice was drowned out by Axel, whose anger had flared up again.

Axel slid to a stop a few feet from Nanashi. He ducked underneath Nanashi's slash and hit the ground with one of his chakram while he held out the other behind him.

"Burn, baby!" he shouted, and a massive explosion burst from his weapon. Nanashi braced himself against the shockwave, which shook the entire mushroom. Great streams of fire radiated from Axel's chakram, melting the mushroom underfoot before finally erupting into a ring of twenty foot tall flames, trapping the two of them in the middle.

"You ready!" he snarled, and he launched into a string of attacks, which Nanashi struggled to block. The immense heat from the flames made the air thick and distorted Nanashi's vision, making it extremely difficult for him to follow Axel's swift attacks. Not only that, but his feet were on fire, and his shoes sank into the melted mushroom, slowing him down, and he was finding it hard to not flinch whenever an ember would land on his arms or hands.

"Thousand Needles!" Nanashi shouted, and numerous needles erupted between them. They melted almost immediately, but they did break off Axel's attack, giving Nanashi a few seconds to think up a plan.

Axel, however, refused to relent, and to Nanashi's amazement he back flipped into the massive flames surrounding the two, disappearing from sight.

"That's impossible!" Nanashi shouted as he tried to locate Axel through the haze and flames. Nanashi searched desperately, but he couldn't find him.

A sudden movement from the corner of his eye caused Nanashi to turn, but not fast enough, for by the time he had unstuck his feet from the ground Axel had leapt from the flames, slashed at his exposed back, then disappeared back into the flames, leaving behind pillars of fire in his wake, which scorched Nanashi's already burned body.

Axel repeated this tactic many times, always jumping out and attacking Nanashi's exposed back or sides. Nanashi could only get small glimpses of Axel before he disappeared again into the flames.

Not only was Axel slowly whittling away at what magic Nanashi had left, but he was leaving Nanashi intensely frustrated – so much so that Nanashi had resorted to blindly firing blasts of lighting into the flames with the small hope that he'd actually hit him.

"Electric Eye! Electric Eye! Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted, and three blasts of lightning shot into the flames.

"I'm over here!" Axel taunted as he leapt from the fire behind Nanashi, slashed, then disappeared again.

"Electric Eye!" Nanashi shouted again, but his lightning connected only with flames. Nanashi was well aware of the fact that his magical power was quickly being depleted, but he couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Got it memorized?" Axel shouted, leaping from the flames and slamming both of his chakram onto the ground, which caused multiple pillars of flames to surround Nanashi, burning every inch of his body. Nanashi slashed with his lance, but Axel had already disappeared back into the flames.

Nanashi dismissed his lance. He had to use a desperation attack. He could either wait for Axel to slowly chip away at him while he got cooked alive, or he could make sure that both of them were destroyed.

Nanashi stuck both of his hands in front of him, his palms facing each other. There, he focused every last bit of magic he had left, which built up in his Electric Eye ARM and formed into a dense ball of lightning.

Axel had finally stopped attacking. Apparently the appearance of Nanashi's electricity had forced him to remain within the safety of his flames - not that it would do him any good.

"Nature ARM: Electric Eye!" Nanashi roared, and he ripped his arms apart, spreading the lighting all around him. Both Nanashi and Axel were engulfed in the expanding ball of electricity, which easily surrounded and extinguished Axel's ring of flames.

Nanashi's shouts of pain were drowned out by the crackling of the electricity. He was used to be shocked, but never like this. This was pain beyond that of anything he'd ever felt. His muscles convulsed violently. He felt his knees give out, and he collapsed onto the still searing ground.

Nanashi blacked out, and when he finally came to it took a few moments for him to remember exactly where he was and why he was in such intense pain, but when he finally did he opened his eyes and forced himself to his feet. He immediately fell back to his knees.

Axel was about thirty feet away from him. He was standing, but he had both of his hands (his chakram still gripped in them) on his knees, and he was apparently in massive amounts of pain.

"I'm impressed," Axel gasped. "That usually works." With great effort he straightened his back and slowly lifted up one of his chakram. "This was the hardest fight I've ever had. Unfortunately, it's not going to end until one of us is dead – and I've got too much unfinished business to die here."

Axel's chakram began to collect fire in its middle as he powered up his final attack.

Nanashi understood that this was the end. He had only a tiny trickle of magic left. It was barely enough to summon his Griffin Lance, and even that wouldn't do him any good. Well… at least he'd get to see his friends from Luberia again…

Nanashi glanced over at Team MAR; Ginta, Snow, Alan, Dorothy, and Alviss – and Jack who was back at the castle. His only regret was that he wouldn't get to keep fighting with them. They were just as much his friends as anyone from Luberia – Alviss even gave him an ARM. The only ever person to have done that before was Galian. Well, at least Alviss turned out to be a better friend than Galian…

A sudden thought struck Nanashi. The ARM that Alviss had given him. He had said it was a defensive ARM. Well, if Alviss had held onto it for so long it had to have been pretty strong…

Nanashi fished in his pocket and pulled out the ARM. He barely had enough magic left to summon it, but he had to try.

Axel, however, had finally finished powering up his attack. A stream of six fireballs shot from his chakram and rose into the air, where they hung for a few seconds before firing rapidly at Nanashi.

"Holy ARM, Aegis," Nanashi muttered, and the ARM transformed into a large shield. It was immensely light despite its huge size, and it gently rested itself in Nanashi's hand, and almost immediately Nanashi felt better. The pain in his body subsided slightly, and he was able to raise the shield up a little higher.

The first fireball impacted the shield, and a small explosion washed over it. The force of the explosion almost knocked Nanashi over, but luckily he was able to remain upright. The second fireball impacted almost instantly after, and Nanashi was able to withstand the impact slightly better than before. The same thing happened with the third, fourth, and fifth fireball, and by the time the last had hit him, Nanashi was strong enough to struggle shakily back to his feet.

Nanashi realized now how special this ARM was. Not only did the shield provide him with much needed safety, but it also was slowly replenishing his magic – and even healing his wounds. That's why it was designated a Holy ARM and not a Weapon ARM – it was aiding its user. He had to remember to thank Alviss after the battle.

"You really are resilient," Axel said, and he fired more fireballs at him, which Nanashi blocked easily. "This would normally be the time where I'd take my leave," he said as he slowly circled around Nanashi, periodically sending more fireballs his way, completely unaware that his opponent was slowly getting stronger. "But, as you could tell from the last battle, failure isn't really an option with us. That shield has to break sometime, and when it does you'll be just as dead then if you surrender now."

Nanashi wasn't listening. He had been slowly using his replenished magic to synch with Gymnote. He was probably about three–quarters full now – not nearly as much as he had wanted, but with Axel's weakened state, it was enough.

"Guardian ARM, Gymnote!" Nanashi shouted. The sky darkened as the hollow filled with storm clouds, and swimming through them was the massive form of Gymnote.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Nanashi said, grinning. "You didn't realize that I was synching with my Guardian this whole time. Now this battle's over."

"You're right - it is," Axel said, his eyes narrowed. He lifted up his arm and snapped his fingers.

Nanashi was engulfed in an explosion that seemed to burn his entire being. His head swirled, and the last thing he remembered before hitting the ground was the forms of Ginta and Snow running towards him.

* * *

It took the combined effort of Ginta, Alan, and Alviss to carry Nanashi's unconscious (but thanks to Snow's quick response, still alive) body back over to the rest of the team. Snow's Healing Angel ARM had stabilized him, but he was still out cold. His new wounds were extensive, too. Ginta still wasn't sure how he was still alive.

"I can't believe how strong they are," Ginta said once they had finally laid Nanashi down.

"I told you they were powerful," Dorothy said, kneeling down next to Nanashi. She had recovered a little more, and was now able to stand on her own. She still winced as she moved though, and Ginta could tell that she was still in extreme pain.

"I'm becoming more and more impressed with Jack," Babbo said. "How he didn't lose to Luxord is still a mystery to me."

"It sure is lucky you gave him that ARM, Alviss," Snow said. "I don't think he'd have survived without it."

"That reminds me," Dorothy said. "Let me see that ARM of his."

Ginta handed Dorothy the Holy ARM that had saved Nanashi's life. She examined it closely, turning it over in her fingers.

"This ARM is extremely rare," she explained, her eyes wide. "It's probably one of the most powerful Holy ARM in existence."

"I'm still a little confused about what it does," Ginta said as he gazed at the ARM. "Something like that would be good to use as one of Babbo's forms."

"I agree," Babbo said. "Than I wouldn't have to turn into that bimbo Alice anymore," he said with a tone of disdain.

"This ARM uses the will of the user and those connected to him to aid him when he's close to death," Dorothy said. "It takes a lot of time to recharge between uses, though. If only Nanashi had known how to use it before. Then he wouldn't have gone dumping all of his replenished magic into his other ARM. If he had just been patient this ARM would have completely refilled his magic."

"So he could have won?" Snow asked sadly.

"Maybe," Alviss said grimly. "Axel was still pretty strong though. My guess is that he'd been building up that final explosion for most of that fight. If Nanashi had been any weaker it would have killed him instantly."

Ginta stood up and walked away from the group. It seemed as though the Organization was getting closer and closer to killing one of his friends. How much longer would it be until someone died?

"There's still one left," Alan grunted. Ginta looked over to where the Chess Pieces were gathered. This was the first time he really gotten a good look at them; he had been so focused on the three Organization members that he had almost forgotten about them. But now that he was going to be facing one of them, he wanted to make some pre-battle observations. The Chess Pieces stood a little ways apart from the Organization members. Apparently they too were intimidated by them. One of them was wearing a dark-blue hooded robe that completely concealed his face. If it wasn't for the color and the lack of silver pull strings on his coat, Ginta would have mistaken him for an Organization member. The other wore a long yellow robe and a silver mask that completely concealed his face. He was standing completely upright, with his arms in his sleeves. There was something about him that seemed familiar…

Nanashi moaned loudly, and Snow quickly knelt down beside him, her Healing Angel ARM in hand.

"Snow, wait," Alviss said. He pointed over to the large center mushroom, where the Chess Piece in the hooded coat was now standing, waiting for his opponent. "You need to save your magic. Nanashi will be alright for now."

"I'll go," Ginta said.

"No," Snow said, jumping up and cutting in front of him. "It's my turn." She quickly jumped down before Ginta had a chance to object.

Ginta observed Snow's opponent. His magical power was lower than that of the other Chess Piece. So why did he have such a bad feeling?

Snow took her place opposite her opponent, a look of shear determination on her face. The Chess Piece suddenly stripped of his cloak, and Snow gasped. Ginta wasn't quite sure why. Sure, the Chess Piece looked odd (he was wearing white pants, a long white and blue jacket topped with a ring of blue petals circling his neck, along with large red circular face paint around his eyes), but many of the Chess Pieces dressed in weird looking clothes.

"Is that…?" Alan said under his breath.

"What did you say?" Ginta said, whirling about. Alan responded by shaking his head in silence. Not wanting to miss the start of the battle, Ginta reluctantly turned back to the arena.

"Princess," the Chess Piece said, bowing. "It certainly has been awhile. I'm glad to see that you are well."

The look of determination had vanished from Snow's face. She looked worried and apprehensive.

"Why are you here?" she demanded. From the way she spoke it was almost as though she was speaking with an old friend, instead of an enemy. "Why did you join the Chess Pieces?"

"Join?" the Chess Piece said in a way that suggested that he was enjoying her apprehension. "Dear Princess, I've always been with them – from the very beginning."

Snow took a half a step back, and she looked extremely hurt. What was going on?

"The fourth battle will be between Snow of Team MAR versus Magical Roe, of the Chess Pieces. Begin!" Pozan said, starting the match.

"Weapon ARM: Blade Ball!" Roe shouted, and one of the rings on his fingers shown with light before transforming in a massive red and white striped toy ball that was at least six feet tall. Roe quickly jumped up and balanced on its top.

Snow had yet to activate an ARM, though. It looked like she was frozen in place.

"Let me see how much stronger you've grown," Roe shouted, and a ring of large spikes slid out from the ball's center. Roe charged, the ball's ring of blades spinning dangerously.

Snow finally seemed to have come to her senses. She deftly jumped over the ball, yet she still showed no sign of using an ARM. Roe charged again, but Snow dodged again, and again, and again. Ginta was beginning to get the feeling that both of them were holding back, which was very much unlike Snow. In all of Snow's battles so far she had always come out swinging. Why was she so reluctant to fight now?

The two fighters eventually jumped back, putting some distance between them.

"Excellent," Roe said, smiling. "I should have known that such a weak ARM would be no challenge for you!"

Snow didn't answer, and she still didn't summon an ARM. Ginta was beginning to get worried. Whatever was bothering Snow was causing her to hold back, but Magical Roe didn't seem to have the same reservations. Ginta just didn't want her to get hurt again…

"Let's try something a little more advanced," Roe said, dismissing his Blade Ball. Roe waved his hand, and he activated his next ARM. A stream of large metal hoops shot forth and quickly surrounded Snow, who hadn't even attempted to avoid them. Roe snapped his fingers, and the hoops burst into flames.

"Fire," Babbo said, shaking his head. "Snow's one weakness…"

"I don't think its going to be much of a problem this time," Dorothy said.

Ginta was about to ask what she meant, but Magical Roe began his attack.

"Nature ARM: Flare Wheel!" he shouted, and the hoops began to rotate rapidly around Snow. Ginta only got brief glimpses of her from behind the ring of flames.

"I doubt that this fire ARM is as effective as Axel's," Roe said happily. "But I'm sure it will prove adequate."

The flames spun faster and faster, almost completely concealing Snow from view. Ginta was beginning to worry that she wouldn't try to fight at all, until –

"Nature ARM: Iced Earth!"

The ring of flaming hoops suddenly stopped; the flames that had been surrounding them had gone out, and each of the hoops was coated with a thick layer of ice. The hoops shuddered for a moment before shattering.

"Excellent!" Roe said, clapping his hands. "I'm delighted to see that you've grown to be this powerful, Snow! But, let's see how you handle this!" he shouted, and he pulled out another ARM. "Nature ARM: Bubble Leo!" he shouted, and what appeared to be a large bubble wand appeared in his hand. He swung it forward, and sure enough a large blue bubble burst from it, which quickly shaped itself in large lion, which roared loudly as it charged at Snow, its long fangs bared.

Once again, Snow didn't react immediately. It wasn't until the lion was in mid leap that she activated her Iced Earth ARM again, which froze the lion solid in midair. The frozen bubble fell to the ground and shattered. But once again Snow refrained from launching an assault of her own; she remained stationary, apparently waiting to defend against Roe's next attack.

"How's she doing?" a weak voice asked. Ginta spun around. Nanashi was conscious, and he had lifted himself up into a sitting position. "I'm fine, don't worry," he said, noticing everyone's worried looks. "Is Snow having any trouble?"

"None at all," Babbo said. "Her form is excellent."

"She doesn't seem to be having any problems," Alviss said.

"Except that…" Ginta began, but Dorothy finished his sentence.

"She's not fighting at her full strength," she said, her gaze still directed at the battlefield. "She's holding back for some reason."

"Hmm, maybe she just doesn't want to hurt the guy?" Nanashi suggested.

"Maybe…" Alan said, but he didn't elaborate. Ginta directed his attention back to the battle. Magical Roe hadn't summoned any more ARM, and Snow hadn't moved from her spot.

"What's the matter, Snow?" Roe asked with an almost sickening cheerfulness. "You're heart just doesn't seem to be in this."

"I don't want to fight you," Snow said firmly, but her gaze softened. "Please, don't do this."

Roe's smile faltered, and for a moment he looked just as apprehensive as Snow. The look quickly vanished, though, and Roe went back to his usual demeanor.

"If you won't attack, then I guess I'll be forced to again," Roe said, pulling a long chain ARM from his belt. "Guardian ARM: Trump Soldiers!" he shouted, and the chain shown with light before revealing four massive playing cards standing behind Roe. Each of them had large metal arms and legs, and they each clutched a different weapon: one had a large spiked mace; the other a bow; the third clutched a large spear, and the final soldier grasped a sword and a shield.

"How can he use such a powerful Guardian?" Babbo said. "His magical power is so weak."

"He's still a Knight," Alviss said. "Don't underestimate him."

Roe commanded his soldiers to attack, and the feeling of dread that Ginta had felt at the beginning of the match intensified.

The four Guardians attacked in unison, but Snow effortlessly dodged between, ducking low underneath the sword, sidestepping the mace, and hurdling the lance. She escaped the group and ran, putting as much distance between herself and the soldiers as she could, but she wasn't out of their range yet. The bow-wielding soldier drew its bow, took aim, and fired. Snow sidestepped, but the arrow grazed her right shoulder. She gave a cry of pain and clutched at the wound.

"Snow, you need to do something!" Ginta shouted. The four soldiers had quickly closed the distance and were now standing around her menacingly.

"Yukichan!" Snow shouted, and she activated the Snowman ARM that was hanging from her neck. A large portal opened from above, and four giant Snowmen rained down, one for each of the card soldiers. The mushroom shook violently as the four Guardians crushed the soldiers underneath.

"Mimic Medallion!" Roe shouted, and another portal opened up above Snow. She looked up in shock as four more Snowman fell, but this time she was their target. The mushroom shook yet again, and Ginta held his breath.  
The Snowman disappeared, and the dust slowly settled, revealing an injured, but not beaten, Snow.

"How did you-?" she stammered, echoing what Ginta was thinking.

"My Mimic Medallion," Roe said, holding up his ARM. "It will replicate the effects of the last ARM that my opponent has used. I wouldn't try using that Guardian again – not that you'll get the chance." Roe slipped a ring off of his finger and tossed it onto the ground. "Guardian ARM: Nightmare!" he shouted, and the ring transformed into a dark circular portal.

It seemed like Roe was finally done playing. Ginta could sense large amounts of magical power coming from the portal. Suddenly, many large, round objects began to fly out of it. Each of them had small, slit-like eyes and a large mouth containing a great multitude of needle-like teeth. Snow took a step back as they closed in. She tried to dodge, but there we just too many, and soon enough one of the objects rammed into her, knocking her hard onto the ground.

"Snow!" Ginta shouted, his frustration building. He wished he understood why Snow wasn't fighting back.

Another of the objects slammed into Snow, followed by another, and another. Snow was getting tossed around, the objects slamming into her repeatedly, and it took all of Ginta's control to refrain from running out to help her.

"I don't understand!" Ginta shouted, stomping on the mushroom out of frustration. "Why won't she do anything?"

"Because," Alan said grimly. "Magical Roe used to be Snow's babysitter. She's too attached to him to fight."

"It shouldn't matter!" Babbo said, echoing Ginta's confusion. "He's a Chess Piece!"

"You know that Snow would never hurt someone she's cares about," Alan said. Ginta frowned, but he silently agreed.

Snow had now managed to separate herself from the objects, but she was standing close to the edge, and they were closing in fast.

"Come on, Snow!" Dorothy shouted. "You've got to fight back!"

"Listen, Snow," Alan barked. "You can't let your personal feelings get in the way. This man is trying to kill you. Get serious!" he shouted. Snow glanced over at him and looked him straight in the eye. She than slowly shook her head. Ginta couldn't take it anymore.

"Snow, please!" he shouted, and she turned her gaze to him. "We need you to win this fight! For all of MAR! I know you don't want to hurt him, but I can't stand to see you get hurt again!"

Snow's shoulders fell, and Ginta could see a single tear drop to the ground. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Guardian ARM: Undine!" she said, but her voice was tinged with pain. Ginta knew that it must be tearing her apart to hurt someone she cared about, but she had no other choice.

There was a flash of light, and Undine the Water Nymph appeared beside Snow.

"I need to destroy those ugly things, right?" she said, and Snow nodded. Undine snapped her fingers, and many needles of water erupted from the ground, impaling the objects and shredding them. Roe looked unfazed.

"Now, should I finish him?" Undine asked, pointing towards Roe. Snow didn't answer, and Ginta new that Undine would not attack unless given an order from Snow do to so. Finally, Snow mouthed the word 'yes', and Undine, sensing her apprehension, nodded solemnly.

"As you wish," she said, and she snapped her fingers. Another needle of water burst behind Magical Roe, impaling him.

Roe's eyes were wide with shock, and he fell limp to the ground. Snow dismissed Undine, before beginning to quietly sob.

"The winner is, Snow!" Pozan said, signaling the end of the match.

Ginta moved towards the edge of the mushroom to help Snow up. Snow slowly turned around to move towards him, but she suddenly froze.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Princess," Roe said coldly. Amazingly, he was back on his feet, appearing to be completely unfazed by the gaping wound in his chest. He was holding up a silver ARM, which was glowing menacingly. "I could have killed you easily, but I have different orders." The glowing ARM shuddered, and a large green aura surrounded Snow, lifting her up and carrying her over to him. The orb of light turned so that Roe could stare into Snow's terrified eyes. "I'm to bring you back to the castle, under orders from Diana – your stepmother," he said coldly. "She has plans for you," he said, and before anyone could react, they both rose up into the sky.

"Ginta, help!" Snow cried, and Ginta jumped onto the mushroom, Babbo's handle tight in his grip. But it was too late. There was a flash of light, and they both had gone.

* * *

_So, what did you think? Any of you who are familiar with the MAR anime/manga might notice a few changes. This is the point where my story diverges from the actual canon (it will be even more obvious in the next chapter). Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the fights. All reviews are appreciated! Till next time!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Here we go, Chapter 10, as promised. I'm really excited about the next update, so expect it soon!_

* * *

Ginta was halfway across the giant mushroom when both Snow and Magical Roe disappeared. When he saw the two of them teleport away he felt his heart plummet, and he was filled with numb disbelief. This quickly gave way to a burning rage, and he gripped Babbo so hard his fingers hurt – but he didn't care.

"Bring her back!" he shouted, knowing full well that Roe couldn't hear him – and even if he could he wasn't going to obey. Ginta turned towards Pozan, who took a step back. "Stop the match!" he commanded, his eyes locked with Pozan's, who was sweating nervously.

"I…can't…" he sputtered, his eyes wide with terror.

Ginta suddenly felt a sharp pain on his cheek. His hand snapped up to the large gash that had appeared there. He spun around to see what had hit him.

The last Chess Piece was calmly walking towards him; a long length of rope tipped with a cruel metal edge was slowly retracting into his long yellow sleeve.

"I wouldn't be so worried about Snow's life if I were you," the man said, his voice slightly muffled by his mask. Ginta glared at him. "I'd me more worried about my own life," the Knight continued. He took his place opposite Ginta. "I will not be denied my battle against you. I've waited too long."

Ginta looked the Chess Piece up and down. He looked strangely familiar; Ginta could have sworn that he'd fought someone wearing a long yellow robe and silver mask before. Even the man's ARM looked familiar.

"Ian…?" Ginta said slowly, his anger being briefly replaced by curiosity. But there was no way – the last time Ginta had fought Ian, he'd been a Rook. But this guy was a Knight – there was no way he could have been promoted that quickly.

"Bingo," Ian said softly. "You remember our last battle, don't you, Ginta?" he said. Ginta briefly remembered fighting Ian twice – once before he'd met Snow, and a second time after he'd emerged from his first session in the training gate. He had completely outclassed Ian during the second match. Ian seemed different now, though. Perhaps it was the loss of his carefree attitude towards fighting, but Ginta was sure that this fight wasn't going to be as easy as the last.

"I'm sure you don't remember… but I will _never_ forget that fight," Ian said with an obvious note of anger. "I lost that time. But I swear to you I will not lose again. I will kill you, Ginta!" he shouted, and his magical power exploded with his anger. Ginta was amazed at how much stronger he was – his aura had at least tripled in size, and it was getting stronger every moment.

Ginta couldn't allow Ian to get the first strike. He had fought Ian enough to realize that his style was to overwhelm his opponents to the point that they never got the chance to fight back. Ginta couldn't give him that opportunity.

"Babbo, Version Two!" he shouted, and Babbo transformed into his second form – a small silver gun shaped bubble launcher. Ginta gripped it with his right hand and took aim before firing a salvo of purple, explosive, Babbo-shaped bubbles at Ian.

"Weapon ARM: Moon Fall," Ian said, and many crescent-shaped blades shot from his sleeves, intercepting the bubbles and causing them to explode harmlessly between the two fighters.

"That stupid ARM won't work this time," Ian scoffed. Ginta frowned, and Babbo reverted back to his normal form. "I've chosen all of my ARM specifically to counter yours," Ian said, his tone back to one of suppressed rage. "I've put my entire being into preparing for this fight. I will not lose," he growled, and three long, silver claws extended from each of his sleeves.

"Babbo, Version One," Ginta said, and Babbo transformed into a long silver sword, which wrapped itself around Ginta's right hand.

The two stared at each other for a moment, each one waiting for the other to make the first move, until both fighters charged, their weapons glinting dangerously.

Ginta remembered his first duel with Ian, and how easily he had been overcome. This time it was Ian who was overwhelmed, and Ginta gave an angry shout as he launched into a furious string of slashes, which Ian only barely blocked. All of Ginta's anger about the Chess Pieces – specifically Snow's kidnapping – had exploded, and he put as much of his strength behind each attack as he could. It looked like it was working, too; the two fighters were quickly approaching the edge of the mushroom. Ian glanced over his shoulder, and realizing that he was being backed into a corner, lashed out, his blades catching Ginta in the arm and sending him flying backwards.

Ginta surveyed the damage as he got back to his feet. There were three long gashes in his arm. They stung horribly and were already bleeding. Ginta swallowed the pain and looked over at Ian, who hadn't pressed the assault.

"Why are you so angry?" Ginta shouted. He didn't understand it. Ian had never been this fierce. Something had changed him.

"Why am I so angry?" Ian said. He shook his head slowly. "There's no way you could ever possibly understand," he said, and he swung his arms forward. Many long, blade tipped ropes shot from his sleeves and raced toward Ginta.

Ginta ran to meet them, and he slashed at every rope he could reach. Ian's ARM, however, seemed to be emitting an endless number of the ropes, and eventually Ginta was overwhelmed. The blades sliced through Ginta's arms and legs, leaving behind numerous long cuts.

Eventually Ian withdrew his ARM, giving Ginta a moment to rest. He returned Babbo to his original form, hoping to get some advice from the ARM, but Babbo didn't seem to have anything to say.

Ginta couldn't believe how much Ian had changed from the last time they'd fought. Ian seemed completely focused on the fight and nothing else, his normal laughing and bantering replaced by pure determination.

"What's made you change?" Ginta asked. "Why are you so full of anger?"

"You really want to know?" Ian said slowly, and it seemed as though his bottled-up anger was reaching its breaking point. "I've never been much for following orders, Ginta. When I challenged you it was purely for my own benefit. I wanted to see you fall. If I could have witnessed that, I'd have gladly taken any punishment the Chess Pieces wanted to give me… But that's the thing. Me…they should have punished me!" he shouted, and his anger exploded again. "If I had beaten you it wouldn't have mattered that I disobeyed orders! But even if they did punish me, I'd have taken the pain. So instead they punished her!"

Ginta wondered for a moment who Ian was talking about, until he remembered the Pawn that had fought alongside Ian. Ginta didn't know why he didn't see it before. Ian stopped the fight only after she was hurt. Ginta had never seen a Chess Piece show that much compassion, especially to someone weaker than themselves. Ginta realized where Ian's pain was coming from.

"She…she can't even talk now," Ian continued, and there was a layer of anguish under his rage. "After what they did to her…she isn't even human…"

"Ian…I'm-"

"I don't want your pity!" Ian snapped. "And I don't want you to ask for forgiveness – you'll never get it. All I want is to cause you as much pain as you made me feel!" he shouted, and one of his ARM shown with light.

"Darkness ARM: Devil's Band!" he shouted. The ARM transformed, and a long chain shot forth and instantly clamped itself around Ginta's free wrist. The chain pulled taunt, and Ginta realized that the other end had attached itself to Ian, chaining the two together.

Ginta struggled for a moment as he tried to break free, but the ARM held tight. It was only then that Ginta noticed his body becoming weaker. What was going on?

"Our magic," Ian said. He pointed at the middle of the chain, where a thick purple liquid was dripping slowly to the ground. "This ARM slowly saps both of our magic," he explained, and Ginta noticed that Ian was also beginning to show signs of exhaustion. "And once it drains us of that, it will begin to drain our life."

"Ginta, hurry up and get rid of this thing!" Babbo urged, and Ginta snapped back to his senses.

"Babbo, Version One!" he shouted, and as soon as Babbo attached himself to Ginta's arm he began to hammer at the chains.

"You're wasting you're time," Ian said, shaking his head. Ginta wouldn't give up.

"Babbo, Version Four!" Ginta shouted, and he waited for Babbo to transform into the Holy ARM, Alice. He never did.

There was another flash from Ian as he activated another ARM, and suddenly the whole mushroom began to rumble. Ginta looked up. There was a massive, spiked metal pillar slowly descending. Ginta tried to focus enough energy to get Babbo to transform, but it was too late, and he was crushed underneath the pillar.

Ginta was lucky that the mushroom top was so soft, but the weight of the pillar still crushed against his chest cavity, making it impossible to breathe. Just when he was sure he was going to suffocate, the weight lifted. Ginta quickly got back to his feet, and he tried again to transform Babbo, but to no avail.

"Darkness ARM: Weight of Sorrow," Ian explained. "It completely eliminates the effects of holy ARM."

Ginta frowned, and he summoned Babbo's hammer form again, and he began to adamantly bang away at the chain, even though he knew it was hopeless. A large puddle had collected underneath the chain, meaning the ARM had already drained away much of his magical power. Even if he did manage to break the chain, he'd still have trouble summoning any more of Babbo's forms.

Anger began to build again inside of him, and Ginta turned his rage towards Ian. He ran forward, with Babbo still attached to his arm. He swung wildly, but he was so weak now that he could barely punch straight. Ian easily dodged the blow, then countered with a swift punch to the stomach, knocking the wind from Ginta. Ian punched again, causing Ginta to stumble back. Ian yanked the chain, reeling Ginta back in so he could attack again. Ian kneed him in the stomach, than slammed on Ginta's back, knocking him to the ground.

Ginta quickly got back to his feet. He wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. But as soon as he got to his feet Ian punched again, upper cutting Ginta and throwing him back the length of the chain.

Ginta rubbed his aching jaw as he got his feet.

"Have you ever lost anyone?" Ian shouted, and he pulled Ginta towards him before punching him hard in the face. "Someone you cared about?" he punched again. "Someone who cared about you?" he yelled, hitting Ginta hard and sending him flying back.

Ginta thought immediately of Snow.

"Yes, I have lost someone," Ginta said between breaths. Ian prepared to attack again, and his long blades slid out from underneath his sleeves. "I lost Snow," he said quietly.

Ginta couldn't let it end here. He had to win. He had to do whatever it took to save her.

Ginta's anger boiled again, and he sprinted towards Ian. He punched hard, smashing right through Ian's blades. Ian swung, and Ginta ducked underneath. He got a glimpse of the glowing Weight of Sorrow ARM and he punched again, shattering the ARM.

With the Darkness ARM gone, Ginta quickly had Babbo transform into his fourth form – Alice (much to the ARM's chagrin). Babbo shown with light as he transformed into Alice and began to radiate light, which caused the chain binding Ginta and Ian to crumble away.

Ginta felt immediate relief as the chain melted away. There was no regaining his lost magic though – not for the time being, at least. He was going to have to finish the fight with what little magic the Devil's Band hadn't sapped away.

Ian was also showing signs of exhaustion, but when he spoke his anger was as strong as ever.

"Do you know who I hate the most?" Ian asked. Ginta thought he knew what the answer would be. "It isn't you," he said, to Ginta's surprise. "It's the Chess Pieces. I will never forgive the ones that did that to Gido – _never_!" he shouted.

"Than why are you fighting for them?" Ginta countered.

"Because it's the only way to change her back," he said, clenching his fists. "I never wanted her to get hurt…" Ian said, looking at the ground.

"You're lying," Ginta said, and Ian's masked face snapped up. "You're lying to yourself. You aren't angry at me, or the Chess Pieces. You're angry at yourself!"

"Shut up!" Ian roared, but Ginta refused to stop. It was time that Ian accepted the truth.

"If you had cared about Gido – truly cared about her – you never would have joined the Chess Pieces!"

"That's not true! Shut up!"

"Be honest with yourself! When you joined the Chess Pieces, you didn't care about Gido. You only wanted power for yourself! You didn't care what happened to her!"

"I…said…_shut_…_up_!" Ian yelled. "Break!" Ian shouted, and long, thick chains shot from his sleeves. In his rage Ian blindly flailed them, his only intent to cause as much harm to Ginta as he could.

Ginta maneuvered around the chains, his own anger replacing his lost magic. He moved forward to strike, but one of the heavy chains whipped into Ginta, knocking him backwards.

Ian finally had had enough. He dismissed his Break ARM, and Ginta noticed his magical power grow.

"I'm going to kill you, Ginta!" Ian roared. "Guardian ARM: Peryunton!" he shouted, and one of the rings on his hand shown with light. A large, purple portal opened up on the ground, and slowly his Guardian emerged.

Peryunton was a tall, purple behemoth. It had huge fangs and claws and glowing red eyes, and it roared loudly as it waited for the command to attack.

Ginta, however, was preparing his own attack.

"I know how you feel, Ian," he said as he built up what was left of his magic. "I know the pain…" he said, and his thoughts drifted to Snow. "Gargoyle!" Ginta shouted, and Babbo transformed into his most powerful form – a giant, winged Gargoyle floating on a massive blue crystal.

"I won't lose! Attack!" Ian shouted, and a large purple blast of energy shot from Peryunton's chest.

"Gargoyle, attack!" Ginta shouted, and Gargoyle opened his mouth wide before firing a blast of energy at Peryunton.

The two blasts of energy collided, and they sparked as each tried to overcome the other. Ginta's magic was draining fast, but he refused to relent. He had to finish this fight now, so he could go rescue Snow. Losing wasn't an option.

Ginta gritted his teeth as he forced all of his magic into Gargoyle, and slowly his energy blast began to move forward before finally overcoming Peryunton, which roared loudly as it was consumed by the blast.

Ian collapsed to the ground, completely spent.

"Ginta is the winner!" Pozan shouted, signaling the end of the match.

Ginta slowly walked over to Ian. Ian gazed up at Ginta, then he slowly removed his mask.

"Don't give up," Ginta said, and he stretched out his hand. Ian looked suspiciously at it for a moment before grasping it and allowing Ginta to pull him to his feet. "Go save Gido," Ginta said.

Ian nodded.

"I guess I picked the wrong side," he said. He then reached up to his ear and removed his Knight earring. "I won't be needing this," he said. "I'm officially resigning."

"Good," Ginta said, giving him a small smile. Ian smiled back, but it quickly faltered.

"You need to save Snow," Ian said seriously. "I don't know what they plan to do with her, but it isn't going to be good, and you don't have much time," he said quietly, so that only Ginta could hear.

Ginta nodded grimly. Ian took a step back, then he used one of his ARM to disappear, leaving Ginta standing alone in the middle of the mushroom.

Ginta turned and headed back to the rest of the group. Team MAR's mushroom looked more empty than usual, and Ginta got a sinking feeling as he thought about Snow.

"Finish this quick, old man," Ginta said to Alan. His blood was still boiling. He was pleased that Ian had finally had a change of heart, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Snow; to the terror on her face as she was captured, and the way she called out to Ginta to help her. All Ginta wanted was for the match to be over, so he could head to the Chess Pieces' castle and save Snow. He didn't care what the cost was; he wasn't going to abandon her.

The others didn't congratulate Ginta on his win. He was obviously restless. Anyway, Team MAR was only up by one win. If Alan lost his battle, the result would be a tie. Ginta thought for a moment on what that would mean. Pozan never listed the rules governing a tie-breaker. What if Phantom counted it as a loss, and started his invasion again in full?

_Good_, Ginta thought to himself once the idea crossed his mind. He wanted nothing more than to bring the fight to Phantom, and he craved the opportunity to get revenge for Snow.

Ginta was so lost in his thoughts that he only just realized that Alan had made his way down onto the main mushroom, and it wasn't until Ginta was reminded of who the last fighter was that he began to worry.

Alan's opponent was the third Organization member, and he definitely looked like he'd be a challenge. He was tall and very muscular – much more so than any of the Organization members Ginta had seen so far. He stood upright, with his hands held behind his back, but his imposing figure radiated an innate calmness that Ginta found unnerving.

The Organization member reached up and lowered his hood. The man had long black hair that was done up into dreadlocks and were untidily drawn back into a ponytail. He had long, wedge shaped sideburns that gave his face a slightly dirty look. His eyes were narrowed, and he grinned maliciously. Ginta was beginning to get a little nervous for Alan.

"Good luck," Ginta called. Alan didn't respond – his focus was entirely on his opponent. Alan stood calmly with his hands in his pockets as he made his pre-battle assessments, but his normal imposing figure was diminished somewhat by the equally impressive Organization member.

Alan's opponent was surveying him as well, and when the Organization member final did open his mouth to speak, Ginta was surprised that he spoke with a very soft tone.

"It seems as though your friends are a little worse-for-ware, I'm afraid," he said, nodding towards Nanashi and Dorothy. Even though he said this very softly Ginta still got shivers down his spine. "Does that frighten you?"

"Don't try any psychological mind games with me," Alan grunted. "It won't work."

Xaldin gave a twisted smile.

"Of course not," he said, his tone unchanging. "You've seen death before. Loss of life doesn't affect your heart. You feel no grief – not even for the loss of your friends."

Alan didn't bother to respond. Pozan, who before now had been focused on the two fighters, realized that he still hadn't started the battle.

"The final battle will be between Alan, of the Cross Guard, and Xaldin, of Organization XIII. Begin!" Pozan shouted, starting the match.

Neither of the fighters moved. Alan was standing there confidently, while Xaldin held both of his hands calmly behind his back.

"Let me guess," Xaldin said calmly. "If this battle is going to proceed like the others, we will each fight at less than our full strength while we wait for you to 'synch' with your ARM," he said condescendingly.

Alan did not look amused. He frowned, and Ginta could sense his magical power fluctuate.

"Not all ARM take time to synch with. Air Hammer!" he shouted, and a blast of compressed air shot from his hand. Xaldin didn't even attempt to dodge as the blast splashed over his chest; he didn't even flinch.

"I hope that isn't the best you can do," Xaldin said, his voice dripping with disdain.

"I don't know," Alan said, and he shifted his weight forward. "You tell me!" He suddenly sprang forward, and he appeared as a blur as he sprinted towards Xaldin, who made no effort to dodge.

Alan pulled back his fist, gathered another blast of air, and then punched. Xaldin calmly sidestepped, dodging the blow. Alan jabbed again, his fist moving at an impressive speed that Ginta knew he would have been unable to dodge. Xaldin turned his body, allowing the punch to fly by him. He grabbed Alan's now extended arm, but Alan quickly snapped his elbow back, catching Xaldin in the chin. Xaldin released his grip, and Alan ducked down and swept back with his leg.

Xaldin jumped high into the air – over the kick – and at least twenty feet away. He landed gracefully, but Ginta could tell that he was now going to start fighting seriously.

Xaldin crossed his arms and raised them above his head. A violent wind began to swirl around him, kicking up dust and whipping his long dreadlocks back dramatically. The wind around him intensified; even from his vantage point Ginta could feel the pull of the wind. He could only imagine how difficult it was for Alan to remain standing.

Suddenly, six tornadoes appeared in a circle around Xaldin. Alan tensed as he prepared to dodge, but they didn't go after him. Streaks of lightning surged through them, and they began to pick up speed, and as they did so they began to grow thinner, until each tornado was only a few inches in diameter. There was a bright flash of light, and the six tornados dispersed, revealing six long, purple lances hanging in midair around Xaldin. Each lance was least seven feet long, and was tipped with what looked like razor sharp dragon heads. Xaldin smiled maliciously as he spun around, grabbing one in his left hand and snatching two in his right. The remaining three flowed around him on currents of wind.

"No way," Ginta gasped as he stared open mouthed at Xaldin.

"That's impossible," Nanashi said, pushing up his long bangs so he could see better. "There's no way this is happening."

"This could be an illusion," Babbo suggested, but he sounded awestruck just the same.

"I wouldn't count on it," Alviss muttered grimly.

"Yeah, after what we've seen from the Organization, I wouldn't doubt that Xaldin is this strong," Dorothy added. "I have no idea how Alan's going to go about fighting him.

Ginta still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Xaldin was calmly floating a foot in the air, a smug smirk on his face. Alan had his arms folded. Ginta had to admire his fortitude – he didn't even look scared - only mildly surprised.

"That's an impressive show," he grunted. He shook his head, giving Xaldin a reproving look. "I've seen fighters like you before. All flash and no substance. You just want to intimidate me before the fight's even begun."

"Then let me teach you to abandon your hope," Xaldin said softly, and with a rapid burst of air he rushed forward, propelled on a cushion of air.

Alan launched more air blasts at him, but they splashed off Xaldin's chest harmlessly – in fact, it looked like they were collecting around Xaldin, adding to the already large mass of air swirling around him.

Alan shifted his weight to his back leg as he prepared to dodge, but Xaldin stopped just short of him. His lances were bunched up behind him, and for a moment it looked as though Xaldin was wide open. Ginta definitely would have used the opportunity to attack, but Alan hesitated, and then decided to leap backwards – it was good that he did, too. Almost immediately all six of Xaldin's lances slashed right where Alan had been standing seconds before, but even with the large distance he had leapt back he only managed to dodge them by inches.

Alan suddenly dropped to the ground, once again dodging death by inches as Xaldin – who had continued his slashing motion – swung just above Alan's head.

Alan quickly scrambled to his feet. He didn't even have time to counter before Xaldin was attacking again. Alan spun around and ran as Xaldin's lances rained down above him, striking at his heels, but amazing he was (barely) able to dodge all of Xaldin's attacks. It even looked briefly like he had managed to put some serious distance between himself and Xaldin, who took a few moments to use the wind to collect his lances, which swirled around him once again.

Alan turned around, and the two locked eyes as they waited for the other to make a move. Once again Xaldin rushed forward with more speed than Ginta expected a man his size to have. This time, though, he didn't stop before Alan. Xaldin punched forward, and his six lances stabbed at Alan, who didn't dodge in time.

"No!" Ginta shouted. He could barely see Alan through the six lances that surrounded him. Suddenly, the lances blossomed outward, spreading away from Alan, who had both of his arms crossed in front of him. Amazingly, he had managed to use his air blasts to force apart Xaldin's lances, pushing them around himself and leaving a wide open area for him to counter. Without hesitation Alan ran towards Xaldin, his fists pulled back to punch.

"Wind, guard me!" Xaldin shouted, raising his right arm above his head. Large gusts of wind began to surround Xaldin, encasing him in a semitransparent ball of wind. Alan punched at the shield as hard as he could, and for a moment it looked like he had gotten through. But then he was violently tossed backward, where he landed hard twenty feet away.

He immediately pushed himself to his feet – apparently unharmed - but Ginta could see the blood dripping from his knuckles.

"So you're a wind user," he grunted, without a tinge of fear or frustration in his voice. "That pretty much halves the number of ARM I can use in this fight," he said bitterly.

"Don't tell me you're giving up," Xaldin asked. Alan smirked.

"Hardly. Nature ARM, Flame Dragon!" he shouted, and a massive stream of fire erupted from his right hand. It impacted Xaldin's bubble of air. The two elements clashed, and Ginta had to brace himself against the ensuing shockwave as each one tried to overpower the other.

Ginta couldn't help but think that he was watching a battle between two masters. Even though Alan was keeping up a steady stream of flames that was so intense Ginta could feel the heat from fifty yards away, they simply washed around Xaldin's air shield, leaving him completely unharmed. Alan had finally put him on the defensive though, meaning that for the time being they were at a stalemate.

Ginta was still awestruck at Alan's skill and grit – and he looked pretty cool, too - with one hand in his pocket and the other sprouting a constant stream of flame, and not even an ounce of fear on his face.

Unfortunately, Xaldin didn't appear to be straining himself, either, and Ginta waited nervously to see which one would falter first.

"How long can he keep this up?" Babbo said, voicing Ginta's concern. Ginta instinctively looked over his shoulder at Alviss. Since both Alviss and Alan had fought together during the last War Games, it was a good bet that he'd have some idea as to Alan's limit.

Alviss surveyed the battle thoughtfully. Both warriors were still adamant, neither one giving the other an inch of ground – but Ginta was aware of the fact that Alan's source of magic wasn't infinite.

"I haven't seen Alan go all out like this in awhile," Alviss said slowly. "But if he's anything like he was before… Well, we haven't seen anything yet."

Ginta's attention was suddenly drawn back to the fight. Xaldin had abruptly strafed sideways, escaping Alan's stream of fire. Alan lowered his hand, and the swirling stream of flame died, leaving behind a charred trench in the mushroom top.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and Ginta briefly became aware that the swirling bubble of wind that had previously encased Xaldin had weakened somewhat. Alan, who finally had someway of damaging Xaldin, broke into a run. Xaldin rushed to meet him, and what Ginta saw next was easily one of the most intense duels he had witnessed yet.

Alan was now liberally using his fire ARM, and had opted to launch short bursts of flame at Xaldin, which prevented him from getting too close. Xaldin was using small bursts of air to pivot around Alan, and taking advantage of his superior reach, was lashing out at him with his lances. Alan was able to use split-second dodges and a constant barrage of flames to keep Xaldin at bay though. Each warrior was constantly one the move, and the air was so full of flames and the glinting of Xaldin's six lances that Ginta was hardly able to follow; each fighter was switching so rapidly and so seamlessly from offense to defense that there were numerous times where Ginta was completely lost, and he was sure that if he had been in Alan's position he'd easily of lost by now. Xaldin's six lances were constantly moving, and even though only two or three we attacking at any one moment, the others would fake and attack, drawing Ginta's attention away from lance that was rushing in to strike. Alan didn't appear to be having as much trouble following Xaldin's attacks, though, since he had yet to be touched.

The battle persisted like this for what seemed like several minutes - Ginta was getting exhausted just following along. Finally the flames and wind died down enough to allow Ginta to focus on the two fighters. Amazingly, neither Alan nor Xaldin looked remotely tired. In fact, both wore wearing small grins that suggested that they were enjoying the challenge.

"Well, at least this isn't boring," Alan quipped, cracking his knuckles.

"Indeed," Xaldin said, folding his arms. "If only you were on our side. We could actually make use of you."

"Fat chance," Alan grunted, his eyes narrowing.

"That wasn't an offer," Xaldin said, grinning. "Merely an observation. I think we both agree that only one of us can survive this meeting."

"Are you done talking?" Alan snapped. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were stalling."

Xaldin didn't respond, but instead snatched one of his floating lances from the air. Alan tensed. Suddenly, a large gust of air erupted around Xaldin, hurling his lances so high into the air that they disappeared into the sky above. Xaldin crouched down, and then he too jumped high above the arena, completely disappearing from view.

"Even I can't jump that high!" Ginta gasped. "This is unreal!"

"Where did he go?" Nanashi asked. "Did he leave, or what?"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Dorothy said grimly. "I can still sense some of Xaldin's magic. He's here – I just can't pinpoint him."

Ginta and Nanashi weren't the only ones to have lost track of Xaldin. On the other side of the mushroom Demyx had his head tilted back and it was darting back and forth as he scanned the sky. Even Pozan looked confused. In fact, it seemed like the only two people who didn't care about where Xaldin had gone were Alan and Axel. Axel's gaze was fixated on Alan, almost as though he were studying him. More confusing was Alan's reaction, though. He wasn't scanning the night sky, or even preparing to dodge. He had his eyes closed and his arms folded as he waited patiently – for what, Ginta had no idea.

"There!" Alviss shouted, pointing directly above Alan, whose eyes instantly snapped open. Ginta briefly caught sight of a black and purple blur shoot down towards Alan, who dodged backwards, barely escaping the ring of lances – and the resulting blades of wind that erupted around where he had just been standing.

For a split second Xaldin was visible in the middle of his lances, but he quickly crouched down again, and for a second time disappeared into the sky.

A few seconds later Xaldin landed again, his lances piercing the mushroom and emanating circular blasts of wind as they landed. Alan managed to dodge again, but once again Xaldin disappeared into the sky, completely out of Alan's reach.

Xaldin repeated the attack, with shorter and shorter intervals between landings as he pinpointed Alan. It was only a matter of time before Alan was finally hit, and Ginta could feel himself getting nervous again. Neither fighter had managed to land a serious hit on the other yet, but it was apparent that Xaldin was the more offensive fighter, and it didn't matter how skilled Alan was – eventually he'd get hit.

A powerful wind whipped through Ginta's hair as it blew past him and gathered around Alan. The wind howled in Ginta's ears, and he was sure that Xaldin was powering up for a huge attack.

Alan was once again waiting patiently as he tried to sense Xaldin's magical signature. Xaldin's attacks were so fast that he only had milliseconds to dodge, so he had to be on his toes.

Ginta suddenly felt a burst of magical energy that was so powerful that he could sense it without even trying. Almost instantly there was another blur as Xaldin reappeared above Alan, his six lances collected to a point as he hurtled towards the ground.

With swiftness that could only have come from years of training, Alan leapt backwards, barely dodging the sharp edges of Xaldin's lances. Unfortunately, he did not dodge the massive vertical blasts of compressed air the burst from the point of impact, which radiated out, catching Alan in the chest and carrying him with them for several yards before tossing him painfully to the ground.

Ginta followed the twenty foot long gash that the blasts had torn into the mushroom top, finding Alan struggling to his feet at the end. He had a large gash on his torso that was bleeding freely, but from the way he stood it was clear that he considered it no more than a flesh wound.

"So, you've finally landed a hit," Alan said cockily as he brushed dirt from his clothes. "About time."

Xaldin had finally descended back to the mushroom, where he hovered a few feet above it on a cushion of air. His lances were gracefully twirling around him as he glared at Alan with his arms folded.

"Clearly I need to try harder," Xaldin said, and he grabbed hold of two of his lances, the other four continuing to rotate around him.

Alan got down low, his hands clenched into fists as he prepared to fight. Once again the two fighters paused; you could have heard a pin drop. Then suddenly, each burst forth – Alan running at top speed, and Xaldin being propelled forward by his wind, his lances swirling chaotically around him. Ginta held his breath, as he was sure that Alan was running to meet his doom. He had no way to defend himself, and the distance between the two was closing far too fast for him to have time to use his Flame Dragon ARM to keep Xaldin at bay.

"What's he doing?" Babbo shouted. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"He has a plan," Alviss reassured him. "I know it."

The two met in the middle, and a couple of things quickly became apparent. For one, it was clear that Xaldin had been holding back his true speed and ferocity until now. His lances were dizzying as they swirled about him, lashing out with blinding speed. Xaldin himself was snatching them out of the air seemingly at random as he spun around, slashing and stabbing with a lance in each hand. Not only that, but he was now using controlled bursts of air to circle around Alan with such blinding speed that it looked like he was teleporting.

The second thing, however, was much more uplifting and far more impressive. Alan was in the midst of Xaldin's constant onslaught, yet he had still yet to be hit by a single lance. Alan had finally found a way to use wind against Xaldin. Alan had used his Air Hammer ARM to fill his palms with air, which he used to protect his hands as he parried and blocked all of Xaldin's attacks. He was in constant motion as he blocked the lances that were coming in all around him, and dodged any that he couldn't – which was no mean feat, since Xaldin's unique fighting style meant that Alan was constantly getting bombarded by attacks.

"I'm impressed," Dorothy said. "That's a pretty creative way to use an ARM."

"I never would have thought of it," Nanashi agreed. "Maybe Alan does have a chance."

"Come on, Alan! You can do it!" Ginta cheered.

"He still has to find a way to hit Xaldin though," Babbo commented. "He can't stay on defense forever."

Almost as though he had heard him, Alan suddenly switched to offense. Alan was deftly parrying Xaldin's strikes, and quickly countering with his own brand of martial arts. Despite Xaldin's superior reach, Alan had managed to close the distance and land two well placed punches, followed by a kick to the chest, which sent Xaldin sliding backwards. Xaldin quickly scooped up his lances, but Alan had already closed the gap, plowing his fist into Xaldin's cheek. He than grabbed him by his coat's collar and hurled him.

Xaldin used a gust of wind to catch himself before he hit the ground, and he quickly righted himself. Without hesitation he grabbed two of his lances and burst forwards. He slashed vertically with each lance, which Alan parried with short blasts of air. Xaldin used a blast of wind to launch a third lance at him, which grazed Alan's ribs. He didn't even flinch though, and was able to swiftly dodge Xaldin's next two strikes.

Xaldin was shifting seamlessly between strikes, his lances a blur of purple steel. His attacks were getting more complex as well. In one swift motion he linked together three of his lances and spun them deftly around his shoulders. The added range was even more than Alan could dodge, and they cut into his arms and chest, causing blood to spill out onto Alan's shirt, but they weren't enough to slow him down, and he was instantly back in the fray.

Xaldin was deftly spinning one of his lances in his left hand, while he stabbed at Alan with one clutched in his right. Alan's hands were a blur as he brushed them aside. Alan ducked underneath another blow, then he shifted his weight to his back leg and aimed a kick at Xaldin's chin – but Xaldin had already moved, pivoting around to Alan's back. Alan spun on his heal and instinctively put up his guard. He quickly filled his palms with more air as he brought up his arms, pushing the two lances that were aimed at his throat up and over his head. Alan dropped low, sweeping his leg at Xaldin, who front flipped over him, his numerous lances raining down blows, forcing Alan to roll sideways.

Ginta could sense a change come over the two fighters. They had both done away with the pointless banter and posturing. There were no pauses in the fighting now – each fighter was in constant motion as they navigated around each other, searching for a weak point. Both of them had their eyes narrowed in intense focus as they analyzed each others' every movement. This was a battle between two experts – veterans who had finally found a challenge.

Ginta suddenly felt a surge of magic emanating from Alan. It could only have meant one thing – he had successfully synched with his Guardian ARM. Without hesitation Alan planted himself, activated his fire ARM and spun, creating a twenty foot diameter circle of flame, pushing Xaldin back and ensuring that he'd have enough room to activate his Guardian.

Xaldin, realizing what he was doing, sped towards him, but it was already too late.

"Guardian ARM, Saint Anger!" Alan roared, and two massive, white gauntlets materialized in the air before him. They immediately headed for Xaldin, and one hit him with an open palm, sending him shooting across the mushroom top. Xaldin used a few gusts of wind to right himself, and what he did next made Ginta gasp. Xaldin used a whirlwind to draw in all six of his scattered lances, which linked together, forming a slender purple dragon. The dragon flew underneath Xaldin, and he landed gracefully on top.

The fierce battle had now moved into the air.

Xaldin's lance-dragon snaked through the air, weaving in between the two giant gauntlets, which tried in vain to swat Xaldin off of his impromptu Guardian. Two of Xaldin's lances swung forward, forming into two long claws, which it used to slash at Alan's Guardian – not that they did much damage. The two gauntlets were far too powerful to be damaged by Xaldin's lances, however it seemed that they were just as powerless; the gauntlets moved independently of each other, but even when they outnumbered Xaldin two to one they could not land a hit. Xaldin's lance dragon slipped through their grips and dodged every blow.

Xaldin once again was on the offensive, and another lance near the front of the dragon slid out, and along with the two claws formed a three pronged head. Circular blasts of air collected at each of the prongs before firing, one after the other and filling the air with a machinegun spray of air blasts. The blasts pummeled the two massive gauntlets, but they only managed to slow them down.

The lance-dragon twisted its head from side to side, pelting the two hands and keeping them at bay as it slowly drifted between them. With a sudden burst of speed the dragon dashed between them (the two hands smashing comically together behind him), as it set off for its next target – Alan.

"Alan, move!" Ginta shouted, knowing full well that with his Guardian ARM activated Alan was rooted to the spot, unable to dodge the spray of air blasts hurtling towards him. Each blast connected with the force of a bullet, and each hit was accompanied by a sickening crack as they pulverized Alan, dislocating a shoulder, breaking his right leg and shattering the bones in his left hand. He withstood the barrage stoically, but Ginta knew that he couldn't take much more.

The volley suddenly veered wildly off target, pelting the mushroom top and leaving it heavily pockmarked. It was quickly apparent as to why.

The two giant gauntlets had finally caught up to Xaldin. One had grabbed hold of the lance-dragon's tail, and was in the process of whipping it backwards, just as the other punched Xaldin, knocking him clean off.

For a second it looked as though Xaldin would rocket off of the platform, but once again his control over the wind saved him, and he managed to stay airborne long enough for his lance-dragon to catch him.

"You wear the face of despair!" he shouted, and the three prongs coated themselves with a violent wind, which swirled about angrily between them. The gusts of wind built themselves up into a massive gale which burst forth violently, knocking both gauntlets aside as it headed straight for Alan.

The whirlwind collided with Alan with such force that everyone in the arena was hit by the shockwave. Both Pozan and Demyx were knocked from their feet, and even Ginta slid back a few inches. Alan, however, stayed rooted to the spot, though from the look on his face it was taking all of his concentration to prevent himself from being blown away.

"This isn't good," Alviss said, and Ginta could hear a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"I know," Ginta muttered. "That's a strong attack."

"You don't know that half of it," Alviss said. Ginta tore his gaze from the fight and looked over at Alviss. "Focus on Alan's magic," Alviss instructed.

Ginta did so, and what he saw made his stomach drop. Alan's magical aura wasn't even half as powerful as it normally was, and it was draining rapidly.

"What's going on?" Ginta shouted urgently.

"The strain of withstanding the attack and remaining synched with his Guardian," Dorothy said breathlessly. "It's taking its toll on his magic. His store of magic will be dry in less than a minute, and then…"

Dorothy didn't have the heart to finish her statement, but Ginta knew what she was going to say. If Alan used up all of his magic, he'd have nothing left to protect him from Xaldin's attacks. He'd almost certainly be killed.

"Come on, Alan," Ginta urged. "Do something."

"He's going to lose control of his Guardian soon," Nanashi warned. "The old man better think of something."

It took all of Ginta's self-control to prevent himself from running down to help. It was more than he could bear to watch a friend slowly get beaten, but he couldn't risk another inference – there was too much at stake. If he interfered, then Xaldin would instantly be declared winner, and Ginta couldn't risk the match being declared a tie. He just had to trust that Alan wouldn't be defeated this easily.

It definitely looked like he would be, though. Alan hadn't moved and inch, but the massive whirlwind was still relentlessly draining him of his magic. Alan was already showing signs of losing his connection to his Guardian. One of the gauntlets threw a lazy punch, which sailed right past Xaldin's lance-dragon. Xaldin watched it go by with a smirk, which was unfortunate for him, since that meant that he didn't see the second gauntlet rise up high above him.

"Enough!" Alan shouted, and the gauntlet rocketed downwards, connecting with Xaldin and knocking him towards the ground. Xaldin's lances exploded outward as the gauntlet crashed through them, carrying Xaldin down with it and planting him into the mushroom top and crushing him underneath.

Both gauntlets suddenly disappeared as Alan's concentration finally broke, desynching them. Alan was hurled backwards by the remnants of Xaldin's squall, and he tumbled head over heals for several yards. He reoriented himself and dug in his toes, slowing him down. Despite all of his injuries, he burst forwards, his eyes narrowed as he headed straight for Xaldin.

Xaldin was disoriented as he pulled himself from the indent made by the gauntlet. His lances were scattered about the mushroom top, far out of his reach. He summoned a gust of wind to summon them, but it was too late.

Alan jump kicked Xaldin, digging his boot into his cheek as his momentum carried Xaldin off of his feet. Alan landed, then planted his fist into Xaldin's stomach before stepping back and roundhouse kicking him in the side of the head and sending him tumbling sideways. Alan was quick to continue the assault, but Xaldin quickly leapt to his feet.

"Aeroga!" he shouted, and a small whirlwind formed around him. Alan got caught inside. The whirlwind spun him around violently before hurling him several yards away, but he bounced back to his feet, ready to fight.

"Enough of this game," Xaldin said, his voice dripping with malice. He conjured more gusts of wind, which collect his scattered lances and formed them into a cone. Xaldin summoned another massive gust of air, which propelled the cone forward, its point aimed directly for Alan's throat.

"Weapon ARM, Flame Dragon!" Alan shouted, and another stream of fire burst from his hand. This time the flames had twisted themselves into a massive dragon, which collided with Xaldin's lances, sending another shockwave through the arena that shook Ginta to the core.

The two elements clashed for almost a solid minute. Ginta held his breath, anxiously waiting to see who would end up the victor. The roar of the flames made Alan's flame dragon appear to be alive, and Xaldin's six lances glinted dangerously from within the flames.

Suddenly a large, fiery explosion erupted between them, and both fighters were thrown backwards. Ginta had to look away as waves of heat washed over him, and even though the shockwave only lasted a second, it seemed like forever, since Ginta was anxious to see the results of the battle.

"No!" Ginta shouted with anguish.

Xaldin was lying flat on the ground, five lances scattered around him. Alan had his hands wrapped around Xaldin's sixth lance, which was impaled through his stomach.

"That is why wind beats fire," Xaldin explained to the impaled Alan. "I wasn't just using my wind to combat your fire," he said as he used the wind to collect his lances.

"The winner is-" Pozan started, but a single glance from Xaldin was enough to instantly silence him.

"As I was saying, I used my wind to create a vacuum. Right through the middle of your flames. No oxygen means no fire, which means nothing to protect you from this," he said, and another gust of wind sent a second lance into Alan's chest.

Alan tried bravely to get to his feet, but Xaldin had decided to finish him, and before Ginta even had the chance to move four more lances had found their mark.

Ginta stared open mouthed, completely frozen to the spot. Once the final lance had struck, Xaldin dismissed his six lances, took one last look at his defeated opponent, then strode back towards Axel and Demyx.

It seemed as though Ginta received an electric shock, which finally freed him from his paralysis. He immediately leapt down from the mushroom and sprinted towards Alan, the others close behind.

Ginta dropped to his knees at Alan's side.

"Don't die on us, Alan!" Ginta shouted, his eyes darting to each of his bleeding wounds.

"Stay focused, Alan," Alviss said, but his voice was quivering all the same. "We're going to get you help."

"Dorothy, do you think you can heal this?" Nanashi said, as he put pressure on one of Alan's numerous wounds. Ginta quickly followed suit, pressing down hard to try to stem the tide of blood.

"I don't think I have anything," Dorothy said, as she searched frantically through her Zipper Dimension ARM.

"Hold on, Alan," Babbo said. "We're going to get you help."

Alan's eyes focus slightly, falling briefly on each of his comrades. Then they closed, and his breathing stopped. Ginta couldn't believe it. His worst nightmare had come true – one of his friends was dead…


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey all, long time no see! Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Hope you enjoy the update!_

* * *

Regenlief Castle was silent. There were no celebrations. No congratulations on Team MAR's victory. The sorrow was palpable. The castle was darker. The air was staler. Even the night sky was veiled behind a thick layer of rolling grey clouds that brought with it a cold wind. Almost as if the world had sensed that one of its heroes was dead, and that it was emptier for it.

Ginta was sitting alone in one of the more secluded parts of the castle. He had perched himself on a stone railing that ran the length of one of the castle's many stone walls. He was staring down at an empty courtyard, which was filled with rows of stone markings and flowers. Particularly, he was transfixed on the fresh patch of dirt at the end of one the many rows. Ginta, Jack, Nanashi, and Alviss had spent two hours digging Alan's grave. It was right next to the Boss' empty grave. It looked like everyone in the castle had showed up to bid him farewell. This, of course, provided Phantom with the opportune chance to add insult to the injury already felt because of Alan's death. He didn't show up in person, but it was far too coincidental that Pozan appeared right during the middle of the funeral to announce Phantom's ruling for the sixth match. The following night there would be a single tie-breaker battle. Since it's a special scenario, any member of Team MAR can fight – which implied that the Chess Pieces had a special warrior lined up for it. Most likely someone from Organization XIII. The winner of the battle would determine the result of the entire match.

That was a lot of pressure to put on Team MAR's shoulders. Even the castle's residents were nervous. Ginta could see it in their eyes. A single battle could determine if they got another peaceful night's sleep or if they'd be desperately trying to survive another war. Everyone was already devastated at the loss of Alan, who they saw as their guardian. As long as Alan was on watch, they'd be safe. His death stripped them of their last safety net.

Alan's death also served as a reminder of MAR's fragility. Ginta was the son of the Boss, MAR's warrior from another world, but everyone - including Ginta - looked up to Alan. He was the veteran. He had the skill, and the talent, and the experience. He was the one who always knew what to do. But now, the famous, stoic, invincible Alan was gone.

"He had a plan," Ginta muttered, remembering back to the other day. "He knew how to deal with the Chess Pieces…and the Organization." Alan hadn't elaborated, though. He thought that he'd have more time to explain. He was wrong.

Ginta could feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. For the first time since he got to MAR, he truly felt like he was in over his head. This story wasn't turning out anything like he had expected it to. The Chess Pieces were winning; the Organization seemed unstoppable; the Cross Guard – including one of its strongest warriors – was defeated; and the princess was captured.

Ginta sighed loudly as he thought about Snow, and how helpless he had been to save her. What with Alan's death, her kidnapping had been mostly forgotten among the townspeople. Well, not forgotten – perhaps they just couldn't bare to add to their sorrow. Of course, no one missed her more than poor Edward. Ginta had expected him to act like he always did in a crisis – panicked and worried. But it seems as though his grief was beyond this, and that having Snow gone had finally broken the dog's spirit. Ginta wished he could do something to help, but he felt completely lost. His happy-go-lucky attitude had evaporated. His plans of mounting a daring rescue now seemed childish. He was in the middle of a war. People were dying, and everyone expected him to do something about it. But what could he do?

A metallic clanking echoed down a nearby hallway, and Ginta didn't turn to see who it was. He already knew.

Babbo bounced over to face Ginta, but he didn't try to get his attention. He simply sat and stared at the human, waiting patiently. They were silent for a long while, then Ginta finally burst.

"I can't do this," Ginta sighed, looking at the ARM.

"Sure you can," Babbo said quietly. "But let's take things one step at a time. Let's go talk to the others."

"You don't understand," Ginta said, shaking his head.

"I do."

"No you don't!" Ginta shouted, jumping to his feet. Babbo stared up into his eyes. "Everyone's counting on me!" Ginta said. "They all expect me to lead them. To have a plan! But I'm no leader!" He turned away from the ARM and leaned onto the barrier. "I'm just some kid," he said wearily. "Just some kid from Tokyo. I can't do this."

"You're not just some kid," Babbo said with a tone that reminded Ginta very much of Alan. He slowly turned to face the ARM. "Look at all you've done so far; all the battles that you've won. You've beaten some strong opponents."

"But I couldn't save Alan, or Snow," Ginta said, shaking his head.

"Don't blame yourself for that," Babbo insisted. "There's nothing we could have done. And Snow isn't dead yet, we still can help her."

"I don't know what to do… What if I make the wrong decision? I don't think I could live with myself if someone got hurt because of me."

"You can't think about it like that. The way I see it, is you've got two choices. You can either give up now, and let the others fight without you."

"I wouldn't ever-"

"Or, you can press on. I'm not sure if we'll win, but I can guarantee that a lot more people will get hurt if you give up."

Ginta didn't speak. What could he say? Babbo was right… he couldn't just give up. And he won't allow his friends to get hurt anymore. Not if he could help it, anyway.

Ginta turned towards the ARM, staring him in the eyes. They both realized what needed to be done.

"They won't be easy to convince," Ginta said.

"I'll back you up," Babbo assured.

Ginta thought for a few more moments, mentally noting the numerous objections that his teammates were bound to come up with, and exactly how he was going to answer them.

"Waiting isn't going to make it any easier," Babbo said.

After several quiet moments Ginta got to his feet and headed down the hall, Babbo bouncing behind him. They traversed the castle's corridors in silence, neither one needing to speak. They both knew that it was going to be them fighting in the tie-breaker. Now they just had to convince the others.

The two of them descended a stone staircase which exited out into another long hallway. The hallway was almost completely dark, save for the end of the corridor, where a few rays of flickering light bled out from a partially opened door.

All the other members were already there. Dorothy was sitting in an armchair, her arm in a sling. She smiled when Ginta entered, but it quickly disappeared. Jack was lounging in another armchair, staring off into space. Poor Edward was sitting alone on the rug as he hiccupped into an empty tankard. Alviss was leaning up against a wall in the shadows with Belle hovering impatiently over his shoulder. Gaira was leaning heavily on the wooden mantel as the fire bathed him in crimson light. Nanashi was lying down on a couch, where a pretty blonde nurse was changing the bandages around his chest. With Snow gone it was impossible for either Nanashi or Dorothy to be magically healed. Snow's Healing Angel ARM was practically one of a kind, so the two of them had to heal normally.

Ginta walked over and stood at the edge of the rug. There were many open seats in the room, but Ginta didn't sit.

The nurse finished tending to Nanashi, packed up her supplies, and then headed briskly out of the room. The door snapped shut behind her, which seemed to break everyone out of their stupor.

"How are you feeling?" Dorothy asked Ginta, spotting the dead look in his eyes. "Ginta?"

Ginta, who had been staring off into the flames (which forcefully reminded him of Axel), shook his head.

"What?" he said wearily.

"Are you okay?" Dorothy repeated.

"I'm fine."

"But-"

"So, about the tie-breaker," Ginta said, changing the subject.

"It shouldn't be that hard to make a decision," Babbo said quickly. "Both Dorothy and Nanashi are going to be recovering-"

"Don't count us out yet," Nanashi said. He grimaced as he sat up. "Gaira's going to let us heal in his Training Gate. We've got about twenty hours – which in there is -"

"Look, I just wanted to say- " Ginta began, but he was interrupted.

"About eight weeks," Dorothy said. "More than enough time for us to heal."

"That doesn't -"

"And I've been training all day in it," Jack added. "So don't count me out."

It seemed as though the others knew what Ginta was planning to say, and were determined not to give him the chance to say it. Ginta opened his mouth to speak, but was once again cut off.

"I've got the most experience," Alviss said, looking up from the ground. "I'll fight in the tie-breaker. Then we can start planning for the final round."

"Listen!" Ginta said firmly. Everyone, who had been avoiding his gaze since the conversation started, looked over at him. "I'm going to fight in the tie-breaker."

"That's not going to happen," Alviss said, stepping into the glow of the fire. "You're our team Captain. If you lose, it's all over."

"That doesn't matter," Babbo countered. "If any of us lose, then the entire match is lost, and so are the War Games."

"We can't risk you getting injured before the final round," Alviss insisted. "You're going to be fighting Phantom – we can't have you at anything less than one hundred percent."

"We'll have another day off before the final match," Ginta said. "I can heal in the Training Gate after the match. Then I can defeat Phantom, and this whole thing will finally be over."

Nanashi snorted. "I didn't think you were so naïve," he said, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really expect Phantom to just give up?" Dorothy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no…" Ginta said, frowning. "But I didn't think it would matter after the final match," he added quickly, hoping to make up for his ignorance. "I mean, I'm going to have to finish him then, won't I? Then the Chess Pieces will fall apart like before."

"Yeah, because that worked so well the first time," Nanashi said, rolling his eyes.

"Phantom died in the first War Games, remember?" Dorothy added. "But he came back. What's to stop him from doing it again?"

"So, what you're saying is, the War Games are pointless?" Ginta said glumly.

"Yes," Gaira said, turning towards the group. "But that doesn't mean that the games don't have their advantages."

"Huh?" Ginta said.

"What do you think I've been doing these past few weeks, watching on the sidelines?" Gaira said coolly. "I've been focused on preparing our soldiers for what's to come."

"But I thought that all of the Cross Guard was defeated," Ginta said, remembering back to the day of the preliminary round, when every single Cross Guard soldier was killed in battle.

"We have suffered many defeats," Gaira agreed. "But this time, I made sure to keep some of our soldiers in reserve. I was not going to allow all of our hopes to be placed on these games. I'm sure the Chess Pieces have taken similar precautions. But I think we can all agree that this war will not end with the War Games. "

"So then that means that Alan's death-"

"No," Alviss cut him off, a tinge of steel in his voice. "The War Games have given us the opportunity to eliminate many of the Chess Piece's Rooks and Knights, and has given the Cross Guard a chance to prepare for what comes next. His death wasn't meaningless. But it will be if you get killed before the games are even over," he snapped.

"I won't lose," Ginta said, pleased that they had stopped beating around the bush.

"I didn't bring you here to watch you throw your life away," Alviss said, taking a step forwards. "I brought you here to lead us."

"Then let me lead you!" Ginta pleaded. "I know that we're a team, but everyone else has had to suffer for this war." Ginta paused for a moment, looking directly into each of their faces; making sure that they understood how serious he was. "You've all fought tougher battles than I have, and I'm tired of watching all of you get hurt!"

Alviss frowned, his gazed locked with Ginta's. After several intense moments, and to everyone's surprise, he smiled. The gesture quickly disappeared, but coming from Alviss, even a small sign of emotion was huge.

"Well, it's nice to see that you're finally taking this seriously," he said. He turned and strode from the room, but as he passed Ginta, he muttered a brief, "Good luck," leaving Ginta feeling quite confused.

* * *

Roxas' eyes snapped open. He was lying in bed in the Organization's sleeping quarters in the castle. He had been spending the past several hours trying in vain to fall asleep. He was exhausted, but his head was still buzzing. He just couldn't shake the last match from his mind. Every time he closed his eyes horrifying images would flash before them – of Snow getting captured, and Xaldin killing Alan. He definitely hadn't been prepared for that.

Roxas held up a gloved hand and stared at it through the darkness. Was the Organization right? He didn't know anymore. He'd never really had any qualms about working for the Organization before, but that's because he always assumed that they weren't doing anything wrong. All he ever did was collect hearts, and since the Heartless were dangerous creatures, he always saw what he did as a service to the other worlds. But he never gave much thought to what the other members did. The Organization could only collect hearts from Heartless that where destroyed by a Keyblade, so Saix always instructed the other members to fight Heartless only if necessary. So what had the others been doing on their missions?

The odd sensation of rocks rolling around in his stomach had returned, making Roxas even more confused. He had been spending the last few hours trying to think of what could be causing it, but he kept drawing a blank. It wasn't physical pain - he was sure of that. It was…different, somehow. He couldn't tell anyone about it, either. Not even Axel would understand. The only explanation was that he was feeling an emotion, but that was impossible. Roxas was a Nobody – he couldn't feel emotion. Well…that's what everyone kept telling him, anyway. The only thing was that Roxas had no baseline to gage the experience. He had absolutely no memories of his past life at all. He wasn't even too sure what an emotion was. All the others had said that they could remember what having emotions was like, but without any memories, Roxas had nothing to compare to.

Roxas sighed. He felt suffocated by the silence in the room. He had to get out and walk around a bit – maybe that would clear his head. Roxas quietly lifted up his head and searched the room. All the other members were asleep. Roxas laid back down and placed and open palm against his mattress, summoning a Corridor of Darkness. He felt a weightless sensation as he sunk through his mattress. Gravity took hold again as he fell through the ceiling of the room directly below. He landed with a dull thud and instinctively searched the room. It was completely empty, save for a few inconspicuous wooden crates. Slowly he tiptoed through the room and pushed open the door, which exited into one of the castle's many hallways.

Roxas put on his hood as he exited the room.

The castle was much busier at night. Roxas passed numerous Chess Pieces as he wandered aimlessly through the labyrinth of corridors. They gave him a wide birth. Pretty much everyone was weary of the Organization after seeing how merciless Xaldin was. All this did was make Roxas feel even more isolated.

Even though Roxas didn't have a destination, he soon found himself in a familiar spot – the large hallway that led into Phantom's throne room. The high ceilinged corridor was completely empty. Roxas slowly made his way through the hall, hoping that he'd make it through without encountering anyone. Almost as if on cue Roxas heard muffled voices approaching him. There was no way he could make it out of the room it time, so he quickly backed up into a corner, his black attire concealing him in the shadows.

Seconds later Phantom and another Chess Piece emerged from a nearby corridor. The Chess Piece was chained to a large slab of metal that floated soundlessly a few inches above the ground, and his face was completely concealed by a large orange mask that reminded Roxas of a pumpkin, or a tomato. Roxas immediately recognized him as Halloween – one of the Chess Pieces' strongest Knights.

"You promised me that I would be the one to kill Alan," Halloween said irritably.

"I only said that you would be the one to fight him in the final round," Phantom explained calmly. The two stopped in the middle of the room, and Phantom turned to look at Halloween. "I think it came as a surprise to everyone that he didn't make it that far. But if you feel cheated, I'm sure that you could talk to Xaldin about it."

Halloween didn't answer. It was difficult to tell exactly what he was thinking behind the giant mask of his.

"Since you feel cheated," Phantom said, before Halloween had a chance to answer. "Allow me to make it up to you," Phantom said genuinely. "You will be allowed to kill Xaldin when the time comes. I'm sure that being the one to kill the man who killed Alan would prove your skill."

"It wasn't about proving my skill," Halloween said. "It was about… well, let's just say that it was personal."

"Well, now you have a new vendetta. You can get revenge on the one who robbed you of your vengeance," Phantom suggested, though he wore the same look that Xemnas wore whenever he 'suggested' something.

Halloween thought for a moment. "Fine," he said, and then his tone turned much more jovial. "I hope that this plan of yours doesn't take too long, Phantom. I'm getting a bit impatient."

"Not to worry," Phantom assured him. "We won't be waiting much longer."

Halloween chuckled to himself, then turned away. With a flash of light he teleported away. Almost instantly another burst of light appeared at Phantom's left, revealing Peta.

"Phantom," he said.

"How is our guest?" Phantom asked.

"Princess Snow is locked in the dungeons. What should we do with her?" Peta asked. Phantom's eyes briefly flitted in Roxas' direction. Roxas caught his breath, hoping that he hadn't been spotted. He couldn't have, since Phantom quickly turned his attention back to Peta.

"Kill her," Phantom said offhandedly. Roxas' felt the knot in his stomach tighten. They were going to kill Snow? "She's of no use to us," Phantom said, noticing the shocked look on Peta's face.

"Kill…but sir, the Queen-"

"Who do you take orders from?" Phantom asked.

"You, sir."

"Then listen to me, and allow me to deal with the Queen. Her plans are now obsolete. Our new course of action makes her quite unnecessary. Keeping Snow here is an unnecessary risk, and I would rather not be hindered by any ill-conceived plans of rescue that Ginta is undoubtedly planning. Besides, it will goad his anger, and I very much like to test his full power in the final match."

Roxas was breathing fast. He wasn't sure what to do. The pain in his stomach seemed to be driving him to do something, but what could he do? Helping an enemy to escape would almost certainly lead to disaster for him and the Organization. If Phantom wasn't planning to kill them now, he'd certainly reconsider if Roxas got caught. Besides, what could he do? They were thousands of feet above the ground in a floating castle. Roxas didn't have any ARM, and Snow couldn't use a Corridor of Darkness – it would destroy her. But none of his rationalizing did anything to lessen the pain in his stomach that now seemed to have spread to his limbs.

He wasn't even sure why he was so worried. Snow was one of the Chess Pieces' – and by extension, the Organization's – enemies. But he still felt a nagging in the back of his mind – similar to how he'd feel whenever he'd wake up from a particularly vivid dream, especially the ones about a beach. He was filled with an odd sensation, almost like someone else was urging him to act. Was it perhaps a memory from his past life threatening to break through?

Acting against his better judgment, Roxas placed a gloved hand against the stone wall behind him, summoning a portal. He leaned back and fell through the wall. The portal opened up on the landing of a set of stone stairs, which were luckily deserted. Trying hard not to think about what he was doing, he took of down the steps.

Apparently all of Saix's lectures about stealth had sunk in, since Roxas' feet barely made a sound as he swiftly descended. After about ten stories Roxas felt a drop in temperature, which he took to mean that he was close to the dungeons.

The stairs ended at a large metal door. Roxas gripped the handle and pulled, but it was locked. Not to be deterred, he placed his hand up against the door and summoned another portal.

Generally speaking, Roxas had been taught to use dark portals sparingly. Not only were they fairly conspicuous, but they also were difficult to control, which is why most members only used the relatively well defined pathways between worlds. Xigbar was the only one who could reliably teleport over short distances. Corridors of Darkness where useful, but they grew less accurate over short distances, meaning that if the user didn't have an intimate knowledge of the building the portal could easily open up inside of a wall or underground. Roxas had been lucky so far, but that had been because he had explored the castle a bit, and thus knew the approximate locations of each room. He'd never been down into the dungeons though, and nothing could quite have prepared him for what happened next.

To his credit, Roxas' portal did open up exactly where he had planned it to – which was at a horizontal distance of about two feet. What he didn't expect was for the portal to open above a seemingly bottomless pit.

It felt as though his stomach had risen up into his throat as Roxas fell. He stifled his reaction to shout as he plummeted through almost pitch blackness. He couldn't see anything below him. He stuck his arms and legs out, hoping to scrape against the walls to slow his fall, but he couldn't feel anything around him.

"Light!" Roxas shouted, and a small sphere of light appeared in his palm. Roxas tossed it below him, and as the orb fell it illuminated the ground rushing up to meet him. Roxas quickly righted himself as he prepared to land.

Roxas landed somewhat hard, but luckily not hard enough to injure himself. He had jumped off of much higher things before – like Memory's Skyscraper. Still, it took a pretty good chunk of his energy to absorb the shock. Hopefully he wouldn't have to battle anyone soon.

Roxas strode over and scooped up the ball of light. Focusing on his element, he made it grow larger and brighter before tossing it up into the air. Many beams of light burst from it, illuminating the distance he had just fallen.

He was standing in a large, circular room that had only two doors: the large metal one forty feet up, and another equally heavy door directly in front of him. The fall must be a security measure. There was no ladder leading up to the exit, and the circular walls were much too slick to climb. Roxas guessed that the only was out was to use a Dimension ARM, or in Roxas' case, a Corridor of Darkness.

Roxas strode over and put his hand on the other door's handle. He pulled, but predictably it was locked. He didn't really want to use another Corridor, less the Chess Pieces had any more surprises for him. But he wasn't about to turn back now. He placed his hand against the door and summoned a portal, but nothing happened. He tried again, this time focusing harder, and even though a small portal of darkness did form, it quickly was swallowed up again. Obviously the Chess Pieces had some sort of protective magic that prevented any Dimension ARM – or Corridors of Darkness – from being used to get through the door.

"Like that's going to stop me," Roxas muttered to himself, and he summoned his Oblivion Keyblade, which appeared in his right hand. Roxas took a few steps back, and then pointed it at the door's lock. A beam of white light shot from its tip, and after a few seconds he heard a satisfying click as the door unlocked.

"Guess they didn't think of everything," Roxas muttered as he dismissed his Keyblade, which disappeared in clouds of darkness.

Roxas lifted up his arm, and the orb of light descended to it. He closed his fists around it, absorbing the element and plunging him into darkness. He strode through the door, which led into a long, cold hallway that was dimly lit by a few scattered torches lit with blue flames, which added to the already dismal atmosphere.

The dungeon was deathly silent, the only sounds being Roxas' footsteps as he headed down the hall.

He passed by numerous doorways, but he ignored them. None of them had any locks, and they were covered with large cobwebs. Nobody had opened them for awhile. Roxas hoped that there was no one still inside.

Finally Roxas came to the end of the hall. There were two doors – one on his left, the other on his right. These two had small, barred windows in them, and a faint yellow light was shining through from the one on the right. Roxas stood on his toes and lowered his hood so that he could get a good look inside.

The cell was small, and it didn't take Roxas long to spot its lone inhabitant. Sitting in the corner was Snow, her legs drawn up to her chest. She was surrounded by a glistening orb that bathed her in a sickly yellow light.

"Darkness ARM, Mental Stagnation," a soft voice said behind him. Roxas jumped. He had to force himself not to summon his Keyblades as he saw the figure standing almost directly behind him. "That ARM will prevent anyone from using any ARM or magic while inside," Phantom explained. He looked rather pleased at the shocked look on Roxas' face. "Its only drawback is that it will allow solid matter to pass through, which is why we still need walls and bars," he said, rapping the stone wall with his knuckles.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas snapped.

"That's a question I should be asking you," Phantom said, raising an eyebrow. "If you must know, I'm here to execute Princess Snow."

The statement hit him like punch to the stomach. How could anyone talk so casually about killing someone? The odd sensation that Roxas felt in his stomach lessened somewhat. It was replaced by a burning sensation, and Roxas had to suppress the irresistible urge to lash out at Phantom. Instead, he glared up into Phantom's eyes. "You can't," Roxas said forcefully. Phantom's grin widened.

"Why not?" Phantom said. "She is my prisoner, and an enemy of the Chess Pieces. Besides, I feel that it would be kindest to allow her to die in her sleep, don't you agree?"

Roxas tried desperately to think of something to change Phantom's mind, but next to the pain in his stomach, and the desire to forcibly stop Phantom, it seemed as though his mind had frozen up. Phantom observed him with the same intensity that Xemnas usually did as he waited patiently for him to answer. Roxas couldn't think of anything to say.

"How did you get through the door?" Phantom asked him, breaking the deathly silence.

"Ummm..." Roxas said. He didn't really want to reveal his Keyblades to Phantom. Roxas knew that Keyblades were very rare objects, and the last thing he wanted was to inform Phantom of them. But he still had to say something. Roxas struggled to think back to what Axel always instructed him to do if he was ever caught on one of his missions – _Just keep it short and sweet. Give as little information as possible_ _and you'll be fine. Got it memorized?_ "I…um… unlocked it," Roxas said lamely. Well, he was technically telling the truth.

"Indeed," Phantom said, and luckily he didn't press the matter. Roxas used the next few awkward seconds of silence to glance back into Snow's cell.

"So, you don't think that I should kill her?" Phantom asked. Roxas tried to think of something to say, but he couldn't, so he resorted to slowly shaking his head. Phantom smiled.

"Alright," he said. The knot in Roxas' stomach loosened slightly. He could hardly believe his luck, but he was sure that Phantom's offer had a catch.

"What do you want?" Roxas blurted.

"Only for you to answer a few questions," Phantom said innocently.

Roxas thought hard for a moment. He knew that Saix would act furious if he found out that Roxas had divulged any information about the Organization. But then again, he couldn't pass up this opportunity.

Almost as though he could sense the debate going on inside of Roxas' head, Phantom spoke. "I won't ask you to provide any answers that would betray the Organization," Phantom assured him.

Roxas thought hard for a few more seconds, then nodded. Perhaps he could get out of this without fighting. "What do you want to know?"

Phantom paused for a few moments as he tried to decide which question he wanted to ask the most.

"Explain to me your dark portals," he said.

"Oh, the Corridors?" Roxas said, slightly taken aback by the question. He had thought that Phantom was going to ask him about what the Organization's goal was, or some other question that would give them away. It was probably safe to answer this one, though.

"Corridors?" Phantom asked quizzically.

"Corridors of Darkness," Roxas explained. Phantom stared at him, intrigued.

"What are they? How do you use them?"

"Well, we use them to travel long distances quickly," Roxas said, trying his best to follow Axel's advice.

"Between worlds, perhaps?" Phantom pressed.

"Yes…" Roxas said slowly. "But they won't do you any good," he added quickly, noticing the desire that had flashed in Phantom's eyes.

"Why is that?" Phantom asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"They're dangerous," Roxas explained. "Any complete being would be consumed by the darkness if they attempted to use them."

"Complete being?" Phantom interrupted. Roxas winced. He had said too much.

"Umm, nothing," Roxas said quickly, but Phantom wasn't having any of it.

"Do not take me for a fool," Phantom said, and there was a note of danger in his voice. "Remember, Snow's life is in your hands. If I think you are withholding anything…" he trailed off, but he held up a silver, cruel looking ARM. Roxas swallowed.

"A complete being is someone with a body, soul, and heart," Roxas said. "It's what allows them to truly exist."

"And it's possible to survive without one of these?" Phantom asked incredulously.

"Yes," Roxas said, then realizing that Phantom wasn't going to be satisfied with one word answers, elaborated. "If a being loses their heart – by giving into the darkness, or being forcibly overwhelmed by it – it is sometimes possible for their body and soul to reanimate and continue on by shear willpower," he said. He hoped that Phantom wouldn't ask him to explain more. He was really just spitting out what Zexion had taught him when he first joined the Organization. He never really understood any of it.

"Nobodies," Phantom said, looking Roxas up and down as though he was seeing him in a new light. "You're a Nobody."

Roxas nodded slowly.

"Of course…" Phantom said, looking away. He stroked his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "So Nobodies can use the Corridors of Darkness safely. But how? I would assume that you'd be just as vulnerable as anyone else."

"Ummm… our coats," Roxas said, plucking at his coat's sleeve. "It protects us from the darkness."

Phantom didn't ask anymore questions. He thought intensely for several moments, before smiling.

"Congratulations," he said. "You've bought Snow her life, for the time being. I can guarantee her safety as long as the War Games last, but not a moment longer," he said. He stepped aside, gesturing for Roxas to pass. "I think it best that you return to your quarters."

Roxas glanced over at Snow once again and breathed a sight of relief. She was still in danger, but at least the sensation of rocks in his stomach had ceased. He then strode past Phantom, careful to avoid his gaze.

"Oh," Phantom said, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him to meet his piercing gaze. "Let's keep this little chat between us, agreed?"

Roxas nodded, then he headed back down the long hallway, wondering if he'd done the right thing.

* * *

Ginta woke early the next day. He hadn't slept well – he kept having vague nightmares of him being trapped in a thick fog, unable to help the voices that were calling out to him from the void.

He was the first of Team MAR awake, so he and Babbo breakfasted alone. He had no idea what to do with the rest of his day though. Usually the matches took place first thing in the morning, but Pozan had said that the tie-breaker battle wasn't going to take place until later that night, meaning that Ginta had to wait.

The storm clouds from the day before still blanketed the sky. It rained off an on for most of the morning, meaning that Ginta was stuck inside the castle – not that he had anything to do that day, anyway, but it would have been nice to escape the stifling gloom of the castle, at least for a little while. Gaira had suggested that he train some more in the Training Gate, but Ginta had refused. He didn't want to put off the tie-breaker any more than he had too. So, he spent the better portion of the morning mindlessly wandering the castle with Babbo. They didn't talk much, and most of the other residents left them alone.

The castle seemed oddly empty. What with Dorothy and Nanashi healing in the Training Gate, and Alan and Snow being…gone, Ginta found the normally bright castle to be dim and gloomy. Ginta tried not to think about it too much. He had to stay focused for the battle. He knew that he should be feeling nervous – all of Team MAR's hopes rested on his shoulders. But all he could feel was numbness.

The rest of the day was still punctuated by intermittent storms, and Ginta wondered if the match would be postponed. Probably not – Phantom had only given them one day of rest, and that was after the death of a friend. Ginta highly doubted that he would reschedule on account of the weather. When the clouds finally did break the crimson sunset stained them a deep, blood red.

The surviving members of Team MAR met up for dinner around sunset. Even Alviss showed up. Ginta hadn't seen him all day, and he suspected that Alviss had spent it grieving for Alan, even though his emotions were as indiscernible as ever.

Ginta didn't eat much at dinner, and instead spent the time mindlessly moving his food while Dorothy and Nanashi tried to encourage him. They had both healed tremendously during their time in the Training Gate. There were a few more scars here and there, but all of their most serious injuries were gone.

"I wonder why the match is so late," Dorothy said. "It's very unusual."

"It probably has something to do with your opponent," Nanashi said as he enjoyed his first cooked meal in months. "He probably is going to use the darkness to his advantage, so keep that in mind."

Ginta nodded, then after a few more moments got up from the table. Babbo rose with him.

"I'm going to go to the arena," he said distantly, and he left.

The tie breaker match was to take place in the castle battleground, where the first round was held. It was already dark out, and Ginta wondered vaguely if this was going to affect his performance. But once he finally reached the stone square, he knew that it wasn't going to be a problem.

The battleground was bathed in a soft white light that seemed to emanate from the stone tiles themselves. The white stone that made up the arena shown brightly, and the whole courtyard was illuminated. Ginta looked upwards, only to see himself staring back down. The light had blocked out all of the stars, but the full moon above shown brightly in the dark sky. Ginta briefly noted how much larger it was then the moon back home, but he quickly brought his focus back to the upcoming battle. How much longer was he going to have to wait?

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Slowly the courtyard began to fill as the spectators assembled. Ginta and Babbo remained silent in the middle. The moon above moved silently through the sky, its silver face reflecting back a view of the courtyard. After a while the rest of Team MAR arrived. They took their places at the very edge of the arena, unlike the other spectators, who stood about ten feet removed from the edge. There was nothing separating the audience from the battle, so things could get dangerous for them. Ginta was pleased that his friends were standing so close, though. He got the feeling that they were telling him that they were all in this together, as a team.

The numbness that had plagued him for the last two days was slowly being replaced by hot determination. Ginta was going to win. He was going to make the Chess Pieces pay. And he was going to save Snow. A pang of guilt shot through his chest. He had been spending so much time grieving for Alan that he almost forgot that Snow was still in very real danger. He remembered the warning that Ian had given him, and he resolved that as soon as this battle was over he was going to start planning a rescue.

Ginta's thoughts were cut short by two bursts of light, one off to his left – it was Pozan, taking his position as referee – and the other directly in front of him.

It was immediately apparent that Ginta's suspicions had been correct. His opponent was another member of Organization XIII. Ginta's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at him. Unlike all of the other Organization members, he already had his hood down. He had long blue hair that was spiked at the top, and he wore a scowl that suggested that he was completely indifferent to the situation. He definitely looked like he'd been through a few battles before; he had a deep X-shaped scar directly between his fierce, yellow eyes. Also unlike the others, he had already summoned his weapon. Clutched in his right hand was a massive blue and white claymore. It was several feet long, and the tip of it blossomed into a ring of sharp white spikes.

Pozan was standing off to one side of the arena, waiting to start the match. "The tie breaker battle will be between Ginta of Team MAR, and Saix of Organization XIII," he paused for a moment as he looked eagerly between the two contestants. He wasn't the only one who was eager to see the fight. All of the castle's inhabitants were gathered around the square, eager to see Alan avenged. "Begin!"

"Babbo, Version Two!" Ginta shouted, and Babbo transformed into his familiar second form – a silver bubble launcher. Ginta quickly pulled the trigger, firing off a large salvo of pink, explosive Babbo-bubbles. The bubbles jostled against one another as they floated towards Saix. Without the smallest trace of emotion, Saix pulled back his claymore and swung, and even though he didn't hit anything, the resultant gust of air sent the bubbles rushing back to Ginta.

Ginta lifted up his arms, using them to absorb the explosion. Ginta expected for Saix to use the chaos to attack, but none came. Once the smoke finally cleared, Ginta saw that Saix hadn't moved an inch. Not only that, but he was gazing up dreamily into the sky.

"So, a wind user," Ginta said, transforming Babbo back to his normal form. He wasn't going to be able to use the Bubble Launcher in that case. He transformed Babbo into his first form – a short silver dagger that latched onto his right arm - as a standby, until he could figure out a strategy. "Hey, pay attention!" he shouted at Saix, who was still staring into the night sky. Ginta followed his gaze. Saix's yellow eyes were transfixed on the moon above them, which was broadcasting the matches for all of MAR to see.

"It's curious, isn't it?" Saix said, his voice a low growl. "The moon acts as a barrier to my power…but it is also the key." The tip of Saix's claymore shuddered, and the cruel looking points exploded outwards, making the sword look even larger. Saix tossed his claymore and caught it in a reverse grip.

"Do you feel it, the moon's power?" he said, his voice trancelike. He suddenly rose up several feet into the sky, his claymore floating vertically behind him. "Moon, shine down!" he roared. Ginta couldn't suppress a gasp as Saix's body was engulfed in black and blue flames. Even more amazing was the massive increase in his magic; what had originally been Rook level had now surpassed any Knight Ginta had yet witnessed.

Saix dropped back to the ground – his normally passive face contorted with rage; his eyes burning fiercely as they locked onto Ginta, like a predator staring down its prey. Ginta had to admit that he wasn't expecting this. Not from someone who looked so calm and cool just seconds ago. But now Saix seemed completely different. He was sprinting towards him, and Ginta was too shocked to react. Saix's claymore was a blur as it sped towards his throat. At the last second Ginta snapped out of his stupor. He blocked the strike, and immediately felt the wind get knocked out of him. Saix took advantage of Ginta's lapse in focus by stringing together a quick two hit combo that sent Ginta sliding backwards, and even though Ginta blocked both attacks, it still felt as though he hadn't. What was going on?

Saix would allow Ginta no time to think though. He was already sprinting towards him, and just before he reached him he leapt into the air. He spun along his axis before shouting, "Be gone!" and hurling his claymore down. Even though Ginta deftly leapt backwards out of the way, the claymore embedded itself into the ground and emitted three long bursts of black-blue flames that hit him right in the chest. They lifted him off his feet and hurled him bodily backwards.

Ginta stumbled to his feet, his chest searing with pain. The flames were far worse than he ever could have imagined. They burned like fire and cut like knives; not only that, but it seemed that even when blocked the claymore would spout more flames, which would power through any attempt to block, making it impossible to ever truly defend against an attack. This was bad. Ginta tried to swallow the wave of panic that was washing over him. He remembered back to the countless hours of training Alan had put him through – but his mind drew a blank. He had no way of defending against Saix's attacks. And the black-blue flames hurt so badly. He had to keep Saix away, anyway that he could.

"Babbo, Version Two!" Ginta shouted, and Babbo hastily transformed back into his bubble-launcher form. Ginta held down the trigger, unleashing a barrage of explosive bubbles that created a thick minefield separating the two.

Much to Ginta's surprise, Saix completely ignored the bubbles, instead choosing to charge straight through them, his fierce gaze locked onto Ginta. Almost immediately one of the bombs was triggered, causing a chain reaction that caused the others to explode almost simultaneously, filling the arena with thick black smoke. Saix was hidden within, and Ginta waited with bated breath, hoping that he had succeeded in halting Saix. He didn't even have to wait for the smoke to clear to realize how wrong he was.

The last of the Babbo-bombs hadn't even exploded when Saix emerged from the smoke, completely unharmed – and looking, if anything, even more crazed then before. Ginta didn't even have the chance to transform Babbo into another form before Saix was bearing down on him.

Saix swung vertically upwards, and Ginta barely was able to sidestep in time. Ginta held up his Bubble launcher, hoping that a point blank attack would be enough to stagger Saix.

Saix, however, launched towards him, slamming his shoulder into Ginta's chest and knocking him back several yards. Ginta tried to regain his balance, but Saix had already caught up with him. Saix raised his claymore high above his head and sent it crashing down. The blow missed by inches, but once again Saix's claymore emitted long streaks of flame. Ginta's breath caught in his throat as the lunar flames impacted, cutting straight through his magical defenses and pulverizing his insides. This was pain beyond anything he'd felt before. Ginta was hurled halfway across the arena. He landed hard, but the pain paled in comparison to his burning insides.

Ginta grimaced as he shakily got to his feet.

"Got any ideas?" he said through clenched teeth.

"_Nothing_," Babbo's voice rang in Ginta's head. "_But_ _I suggest you come up with something soon. We can't take much more of this._"

Ginta silently agreed. Saix was once again sprinting towards him, his eyes burning with rage. Ginta quickly cycled through Babbo's various forms. He barely had to focus half a second on each one to realize that none would be effective against Saix. Close combat was never going to work, so Version One was out of the question. Ginta's natural desire was to use Version Two, but clearly Babbo's explosive bubbles weren't powerful enough to even slow Saix down. Ginta would never have time to summon Gargoyle, let alone synch with it. Alice would be useless, as would Version Six – another Guardian.

"_It's too bad you didn't make one of my forms mid-ranged_," Babbo (who had been using his and Ginta's telepathic connection to eavesdrop) lamented. "_Like a lance or something_."

"Or a flail," Ginta suggested, remembering back to the many video games he used to play back home. "Wait a minute…"

Ginta transformed Babbo back to his default form. Saix was now less than ten feet away.

"What are you doing?" Babbo shouted.

"This," Ginta said, and with one swift motion he swung Babbo's head directly into Saix. Ginta's immense strength, coupled with the ARM's deceptively massive weight, was enough to cause Saix to slide of course.

For all the notice Saix took you'd have thought he was simply blown off course by a strong gust of wind, but the attack served its purpose of temporarily halting Saix's forward progress. Ginta's reprieve was short lived. It didn't take long for Saix to resume his charge, his claymore coated in black-blue flame.

Ginta used the momentum from his first swing to whip Babbo around again. Saix had barely taken two steps before Babbo slammed into his ribs – once again causing him to stumble slightly, and giving Ginta enough time to leap back a few paces, so that the distance between the two was held constant.

Ginta could hear the crowd now. They had been silent since the match had started – with most of them being too awestruck at Saix's power to cheer Ginta on. But now that Ginta had landed a few solid hits, they began to shout encouragement. Not that Ginta had any time to spare to listen to exactly what they were saying. He had found a way to keep Saix at bay for now, but it quickly became clear that this was nothing more than a staling tactic. Sure, Ginta was now pummeling Saix with Babbo, but amazingly his power level hadn't dropped at all. Even a solid hit to jaw was unable to faze him. Not only that, but it seemed as though Saix's power was growing by the second. Ginta had to think of something – fast.

Ginta briefly wished that he could consult with Babbo. Unfortunately, he and his ARM lost their telepathic connection when Babbo was in is normal form, and Babbo was far too busy fending off Saix to have a conversation. Ginta would have to come up with a strategy on his own.

Ginta's thoughts were cut short by Saix, who apparently had enough of Ginta's pathetic attacks. Saix tilted his head back and shouted, spinning his claymore around in a circle, which emitted a ring of expanding flames. Saix's claymore knocked Babbo back with such force that he almost collided with Ginta, who leaned slightly to dodge. He didn't dodge the Saix's ring of flame, that sliced through him. Ginta gasped as the flames cut through his magical defenses. It felt as though he had been sliced in half. He hunched over, his free arm wrapped around his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

Saix was quick to take advantage of Ginta's lack of focus.

"Move aside!" he thundered, and with a mighty swing he hurled his claymore at Ginta. Ginta attempted to roll out of the way, but the searing pain from Saix's flames slowed his reactions. He grimaced as the cruel points on the claymore ripped into his shoulder. The flames coating the weapon quickly poured into the open wound, searing his flesh and bone.

Ginta held his hand up to his wounded shoulder, which was already dripping with blood.

"Ginta, look!" Babbo shouted. Ginta forced his eyes open and followed the ARM's gaze. It was immediately clear what had caused Babbo to shout. Saix was charging towards them again, but this time he was completely unarmed. This was Ginta's chance.

"Babbo, Version One!" Ginta said through gritted teeth, and the ARM transformed into his hammer form. Ginta would have to go for a critical hit – the chest or neck. He didn't want to do it, but he was certain that if he didn't end the fight now, he'd be killed.

Ginta swallowed the pain that was filling his body and charged at his opponent. Ginta only had one shot. He hoped that Saix was so berserk that he wouldn't be able to effectively block.

Ginta focused on the exact spot where he was going to hit Saix. He was so focused that he was unaware that Saix had skidded to a stop several yards away.

Ginta was so close now. He leapt into the air, his arm pulled back, ready to strike.

Saix closed his eyes, and Ginta briefly noticed his muscles tense right before he bent his head back and howled. His body was suddenly consumed by flames, which rapidly expanded around him. The wall of energy wrapped around Ginta, completely engulfing him. The blast carried him several feet, and when Ginta finally landed he did not get back up. He was overwhelmed with agony – it felt as though his entire being was on fire. Even his thoughts were clouded with searing lunar flames.

After a few moments Ginta began to hear a faint mumbling – almost like someone was trying to talk to him underwater. Remembering his training, Ginta used the faint murmuring as an anchor as he tried to force the pain away. Eventually the murmuring grew sharper. The voice became more distinct, and eventually it formed into distinct words that eventually organized themselves into understandable sentences. The final detail that finally snapped Ginta out of his agony was the voice's familiarity. It was Babbo.

"_Get up, Ginta_!" Babbo said, his voice coming from what seemed like many miles away. Slowly the distance between the two became closer, and Ginta could hear the urgency in his voice. "_Hurry! Get up, squire_!"

"I'm…not…you're…squire…" Ginta muttered.

"_You're awake_!" Babbo's voice rang. The pain flooding Ginta's body had now subsided enough that Ginta could feel his surroundings. He forced his eyes open and got unsteadily to his feet.

Ginta wasn't sure how long he'd been down for, but it was long enough for Saix to recover his claymore. Ginta felt panic welling up in his chest. He took a few moments to calm his breathing – inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth. He needed to try to remain calm. He realized that it would be impossible to win with brute force. He needed a strategy.

Saix, however, refused to let up his assault. He was once again charging towards him like an enraged bull. Ginta promptly reverted Babbo back to his standard flail form.

Even though his muscles seared with unbearable pain, Ginta swung with everything he had. Once again Saix was stopped in his tracks. He released another burst of lunar flames, but Ginta was just out of range. Saix roared loudly, his frustration fueling his insanity. Ginta spun around, using the centrifugal force to add power to his attack. He was lucky that Saix was too berserk to come up with a strategy. Saix was a brute; an immensely powerful brute, but a brute all the same. That's when Saix, having enough of Ginta's stalling, ducked underneath Ginta's next blow. He spun his claymore around into Babbo's chain, wrapping it around one of the weapon's massive spikes.

Ginta tightened his grip on the ARM and dug his feet in, but Saix was far too strong. A simple flick of Saix's wrist was enough to yank Ginta towards him. Ginta stumbled, then - desperately wanting to avoid Saix's claymore while keeping hold of Babbo - jumped as high as he could. Babbo's chain pulled taut as Ginta arched over Saix. If he reacted fast enough, Ginta might be able to attack Saix's back, and hopefully get him to release his hold on Babbo.

Saix's eyes burned with rage as they followed Ginta's trajectory. With another burst of anger Saix hurled his claymore skyward. Ginta contorted his body, trying to dodge. The claymore barely grazed his back as it flew by. Ginta spun in the air, following the weapon's path. The claymore abruptly exploded with lunar flames, which enveloped Ginta as the force of the blast hurled him painfully into the ground.

Ginta heard several somethings crack, but the pain was so overwhelming he couldn't tell what was injured. It felt like _everything_ was injured.

Slowly, tortuously, he rose to his feet. It looked as though all of the fight had been beaten from him. His shoulders were slumped; his arms hung limply at his sides. His breaths were coming in short, painful bursts. But his grip on Babbo was tight. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet.

Saix had retrieved his weapon and was closing in, his eyes burning with malice. Using the little strength he had left, Ginta managed to listlessly parry a few blows, but a swift uppercut from Saix's claymore (accompanied by a burst of lunar flame) sent Ginta tumbling head over heals.

Ginta grimaced. He couldn't beat Saix like this. His strength was all but gone. Ginta's only choice was to summon Gargoyle. He wasn't even close to being maximally synched, though. He hadn't had enough time to concentrate – he'd been too focused on staying alive. Luckily, he and Babbo were permanently in a semi-synched state, so hopefully that would be enough.

Ginta dipped into the small pocket of reserve magic that he kept saved for this particular summon. He also gathered up the magic that he normally used as his magical defense. Saix's attacks could cut right through it, so it wasn't doing him any good anyway.

"I take it you have a plan?" Babbo grunted through gritted teeth. Ginta briefly became conscious that Babbo was probably in as much pain as he was. It was time to end the fight – for both their sakes.

"I think so," Ginta said.

Ginta got back to his feet, his determination temporarily restored as his reserve magic flooded through him, providing him with a small burst of strength. Ginta took a few seconds to concentrate, then opened his mouth to speak. Unfortunately, his words caught in his mouth.

With a mighty roar Saix leapt high into the air, directly above Ginta. His previously yellow eyes were now blue as lunar flame streamed from them. Saix lifted his claymore high above his head, coating it with layers of flame, before hurling it down.

Ginta didn't even have time to think. What he did next was purely instinct. He felt the words pass his lips, but he couldn't hear them, and was uncertain if Babbo did either. It was time to test how strong their bond really was.

It only took a fraction of a second for Ginta to know that he was alive – the pain flooding his body was proof. Of course, if he was alive, that meant that his last second change of plans had worked – if it hadn't, he'd certainly have been killed.

Ginta opened his eyes. Everything around him was distorted and hazy, and colored with different shades of orange.

"_Good thinking, Ginta_!" Babbo's voice rang in Ginta's head. "_I thought for sure that would be the end_!"

"It'll buy us a few minutes," Ginta said, thankful for the chance to catch his breath.

Ginta had sensed that Saix had been powering up a huge attack, so he'd changed his plans at the last second, opting to use Babbo's fifth form, Cushion Jelly, instead of trying to summon Gargoyle. The Jelly had surrounded him at the last moment, and luckily it was powerful enough to completely absorb all of Saix's attack.

Saix was prowling about the perimeter of the blob, periodically hacking away with his claymore. Once he realized that bladed weapons were useless, he decided to repeat his previous attack. He leapt up high above the Jelly, his voice a menacing roar as he hurled his claymore. Great waves of black-blue flames washed up and over the jelly, completely engulfing the ARM. Ginta, however, didn't feel a thing – though he could appreciate the fact that, had he not decided to summon Babbo's fifth form, he'd definitely be dead.

Ginta used a portion of his respite to focus on his aching body. His entire body was burning. Each wound burned as fresh and sharp as when it was inflicted. The pain from Saix's lunar flames refused to dull, and burned with a fierce rage that almost made Ginta cry out in pain.

"_Focus, Ginta_," Babbo communicated. "_We need to come up with a plan. This form is only temporary. Eventually we'll have to go back out there and fight him_."

"I know…" Ginta sighed. He eyed Saix just outside of the Jelly. He was crouched low to the ground. One hand had a tight grip on his claymore; the other was balled into a fist as Saix's frustration and rage built to a crescendo.

Ginta suddenly felt a large power surge through Saix.

"All shall be lost to you!" he roared. More lunar flames blossomed around him as his magical power rushed through him. He lunged forward, his claymore trailing streams of flame as he hacked like a madman at every available inch of the Jelly. Saix was a blur of flame and steel as he smashed his claymore into the ground, emitting waves of flames before jumping into the air and hurling his weapon, emitting more explosions and causing the Jelly to jiggle wildly as it struggled to absorb Saix's onslaught.

Ginta was transfixed for several moments on Saix's berserk assault. It was lucky that he was safe inside the Cushion Jelly, though he did wonder if this form had its limits. His question was answered almost immediately.

"_Ginta, I'm beginning to reach my breaking point_," Babbo's voice said in Ginta's head. The ARM sounded strained – exhausted. "_You need to come up with a plan soon. I can't take much more of this._"

Ginta could also feel exhaustion pulling at his body as more and more of his magic was siphoned away to help Babbo remain in his current form. Ginta took a deep breath, calming himself and focusing his mind. He was going to have to think quickly, and he couldn't afford to let any doubt delay him. He closed his eyes, aware of the fact that these could be his last few moments alive. He swallowed, then dismissed Babbo's form.

The sudden dissolution of the massive blob of jelly gave Ginta enough time to shout, "Babbo, Version Three!" before he was once again accosted by Saix.

Saix raced towards him, his claymore scrapping against the ground, trailing large streams of flame.

Babbo shown with light as he transformed into Gargoyle. As soon as he was completely transformed he grabbed onto Saix's claymore, halting his assault. To Saix's credit, it took both of Gargoyle's massive arms to hold onto his claymore, and even with the massive size difference, they were both at a stalemate.

Ginta once again became aware of the roar of the crowd surrounding the arena. The sight of Ginta's strongest Guardian had sent them into a frenzy. Most of them had come to view Babbo's third form as a sign of imminent victory. Ginta was sure that only the rest of Team MAR understood how dire the situation was.

The cheers of the crowd were deafening, but even they were drowned out by the roars of Saix and Gargoyle, who were still deadlocked. It was amazing how Saix was as physically strong as an ARM many times his size. After several more moments, Gargoyle managed to grip Saix's claymore with a single giant fist. It used its now free claw to throw a powerful punch that sent Saix sliding backwards.

For a moment it looked like Saix was beaten. His arms hung weakly at his sides, and it looked like he was having trouble lifting his claymore, which was resting partly on the ground. His breathing was fast, and his eyes seemed to lose some of their ferocity. The change was only temporary, though, and rage once again spread across his normally calm features. He growled menacingly as he drew himself to his full height.

Ginta exhaled deeply. Did this guy ever give up?

Ginta couldn't take much more of this. He had enough magic left for maybe one attack. After that he'd be surprised if he could stand. But it was obviously going to take a massive attack to stop Saix, and it would be better to use it now before he decided to charge again. Ginta took a moment to dump his remaining magic into his ARM.

"Gargoyle, finish him!" Ginta shouted. Gargoyle roared in acknowledgement. It opened its mouth wide, and a ball of energy forming between its jaws. It took the attack several moments longer than usual to charge because of Ginta's immense fatigue. It was because of this that Saix had a chance to counter.

"Behold, the true power of the moon!" Saix shouted.

Saix's claymore rose from the ground and floated up behind him, where it began to spin rapidly. Small wisps of lunar flame began to descend from the night sky before collecting on the spinning weapon.

Ginta watched in awe as a massive stream of flames shot from Saix's spinning claymore and directly onto Saix. With a beastlike roar he thrust his arms forward, and a massive stream of flame shot from his palms. More flames rose from the ground as the torrent raced towards Ginta.

"Gargoyle, now!" Ginta shouted. The ARM fired a beam of energy from its mouth, which collided with the flames, stopping them in their tracks. The resultant shockwave almost blew Ginta off of his feet. Ginta was using the last vestiges of his magic to sustain the attack. Saix didn't seem to be straining much as he bolstered his attack with his seemingly inexhaustible supply of magic.

The two fighters clashed for what seemed like an eternity. Ginta was awestruck. How could Saix go all out for this long? It was amazing. He had to have a limit – he just had to. No one could fight forever… could they?

Ginta was wobbling slightly as his fatigue threatened to overwhelm him. He was running on fumes now. All of his magic was spent. His vision grew narrower as blackness invaded the edges of his sight. But he couldn't give up. He forced himself to stay conscious, ignoring his protesting body, which demanded rest. He glanced around his Guardian. It was difficult to see, but... could it be…? Were Saix's flames being pushed back? Ginta tried to shake the darkness from his vision. His concentration slipped, and the beam of energy firing from Gargoyle's mouth flickered and died. Miraculously, at that moment Saix's flames flickered out as well, leaving a massive charred trench in their wake.

Babbo immediately transformed into his normal form, but Ginta didn't even have the strength left to hold him. He was bent over, his hands on his knees for support. This was it. He couldn't keep fighting. It was impossible.

Saix was just as exhausted. He stumbled slightly, his claymore slipping from his fingers. Saix turned from Ginta, his head tilted back as he gazed up into the nigh sky. He was once again transfixed on the moon.

"Its power…doesn't… even compare…" he gasped, before falling to his knees, defeated.

"The winner is, Ginta!" Pozan shouted.

Ginta grinned, his body flooding with relief. The arena exploded with cheers, but the blackness finally overtook him. The surrounding din swirled into darkness as Ginta fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Alrighty, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'd say that the next one is going to be up soon, but... yeah, you know. Until next time!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello everyone,_

_I bet you thought that I'd given up, haven't you? No, not yet. This chapter is a long one, but then again there is a lot happening. Enjoy."_

* * *

Ginta opened his eyes, staring up into the morning sky – or, the Training Gate's equivalent of a morning sky, at least. Ginta heard a dull thumping off to his right, which was growing louder. It must be Babbo back with breakfast.

Ginta turned his head slightly. Babbo had the tail of a large fish clamped in his mouth, and he was attempting to hop over to their campsite. Babbo noticed that his eyes were open and grunted something.

"What?" Ginta said, barely lifting his head off of the ground.

"I said good morning," Babbo said, spitting out the tail. "How are you feeling?"

Ginta's pained moan was answer enough.

He and Babbo had been in the Training Gate for the last several weeks, trying to heal before the final match. Babbo, being a non-biological magical object, was back at full health within a day. Ginta, however, was taking much longer to heal. Something about Saix's lunar flames was severely impeding his recovery. Even after four weeks he could still feel the cutting, burning flames running through his wounds.

Ginta slowly sat up, grimacing as he clutched at several broken ribs. Babbo dragged their breakfast over to the remains of the previous night's campfire, where he had already stacked a pile of sticks.

"It's a good thing we have so much time," Babbo said. "It looks like you're going to need all thirty-four weeks."

Ginta didn't respond. He wasn't pleased with the situation. Here he was, recovering safely in the Training Gate, while back in MAR the final match of the War Games was ongoing.

Since it was the final match, Phantom opted to hold each of the five battles on consecutive days, starting the day after Ginta's brawl with Saix. Everyone was fairly confident that Phantom would wait to have his battle on the last day, meaning that Ginta had four days – which, in the Training Gate, was stretched to two hundred and forty days – to heal. But that meant that he was missing the other four battles, and right now the worry he was feeling for his friends hurt almost as much as his injuries.

"Don't worry about the others," Babbo said. "It hasn't even been twelve hours out there. No one has fought yet. Anyway, you should be worrying about healing in time for our battle."

This did little to alleviate his worries, so Ginta tried to take his mind off of things by getting the fire started. As the fire grew he transformed Babbo into his dagger form and began preparing Babbo's catch for cooking. For a while he was able to keep his mind busy, but once the fish was ready he placed it over the fire to cook and his mind was flooded with worry. Babbo must have sensed his discomfort, since he tried to keep Ginta occupied.

"You need to take your medicine," Babbo reminded him.

Ginta shuddered. "I hate that stuff," he said grabbing the leather bag and pulling it close.

Some of the healers in the castle sent down a variety of concoctions that would help to speed the healing process. They tasted awful, and Ginta seriously doubted their effectiveness. But Babbo insisted that he take them twice a day. According to him they were what kept him alive during the first week.

Ginta grasped the first bottle and took a gulp. It tasted immensely sour, and burned all the way down, but the searing heat radiated out to his limbs, warming and soothing his aching muscles – providing a slight, but much appreciated, relief.

The next bottle held a purple liquid that was icy cold and had a nauseating mint flavor, but the cold seemed to seek out his various broken bones, numbing them and providing temporary relief from the throbbing pain.

The next healing concoction was a thick, bitter, tar-like glob that provided no immediate relief, but Babbo insisted that it was necessary to heal the massive trauma his organs had endured.

After taking several more disgusting potions, Ginta was finally left with only one more – a crisp, clear liquid that had a slightly pinkish hue and tasted pleasantly like strawberries. The healers back in the castle said that this medicine would help to replenish some of Ginta's magical power. His body was siphoning off large amounts of magic to aid in the healing process, and this medicine would ensure that he always had a constant store.

"Not yet," Babbo said, just as Ginta had raised the vial to his lips. "You can't take it on an empty stomach," he insisted. Ginta frowned and thrust the stopper back into the vial. He actually enjoyed the taste of this medicine. But the fish was finally ready, and Ginta knew that a solid meal would help just as much as the medicine.

The two ate in silence for a bit, enjoying the fish. Ginta was amazed at how much better he felt. Sure, he was still in pretty bad shape, and he knew that once the medicine wore off the pain would return, but the combination of medicine, food, and time had restored some of his strength, and with it, his resolve.

"They're going to win, right?" he blurted after several minutes of silence.

"Of course," Babbo said before taking another bite. "When we get back to the castle, Team MAR will be up four matches. Then we just have our match against Phantom left."

"Right," Ginta said, taking a swig of the strawberry flavored medicine. "Then, we rescue Snow."

"The question is, how are we going to do that?" Babbo said. "We're going to be attacking the Chess Pieces' stronghold. It isn't going to be easy. We need a plan."

"Well, we've got time now," Ginta said, grinning slightly. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Saix strode briskly across the stone rampart, stopping in the middle. An intense wind whipped through his hair, pulling his hood down. A storm was brewing around the castle. The black clouds enveloped it, concealing its many buildings and turrets.

It was becoming harder to find secure places to converse in Phantom's castle, forcing Saix to hold his meetings in the far reaches of the fortress. But hopefully the clouds and thunder would conceal them. Of course, had he defeated Ginta in the last battle, there would be no need to have any conversation at all.

_How could I have lost to that runt_? Saix fumed. He had underestimated the boy's strength, and overestimated his own. That was a mistake that he must avoid making in the future. Ginta was strong, no doubt, and his victory forced Saix to face some unsettling realizations.

Saix was nowhere near strong enough to carry out his plans – even with Axel's help. He would need something special – a more powerful moon; one that eclipsed that of every other world in existence. Unfortunately, that would leave him and Axel with a very brief window of opportunity, and there were still several obstacles to overcome.

The wall of clouds above Saix glowed ominously as a bolt of lightning forked through them, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. He felt a few drops of rain splash against his brow. Speaking of obstacles…

"Couldn't you have picked a meeting place inside?" Zexion shouted, his voice straining to rise above the howl of the wind.

"It's important that we are not overheard," Saix said, his low growl having no trouble piercing through the ambient noise. "Phantom has many spies. We cannot let him learn of our plans."

"You still intend on salvaging the mission?" Zexion spat, pulling his hood further over his head, protecting himself from the storm. "No, this has gone on long enough. I'm ending our involvement here."

Saix glared into Zexion's eyes. "You don't have the authority to give that order," he growled. "I'm still in charge here."

"I've been given the authority directly from the Superior," Zexion said, meeting his gaze. "If I have any reason to believe that our involvement here is futile, I'm to order a full retreat." The two Nobodies locked eyes, blocking out the intensifying gale around them.

"This mission will be a success," Saix insisted.

"It's a failure," Zexion snapped. "Even the Superior admits it. He's decided to proceed with Vexen's plans - they have a much smaller risk of failure. We're just looking for a suitable location."

"Then we still have time," Saix said, turning to leave. He would not listen to anymore of Zexion's objections. He was possibly the only Nobody who understood the importance of this mission. The longer he is forced to maintain this farce the more Xemnas will grow suspicious. The others might be blinded, but Saix would not risk losing his heart – not again.

He had almost reached the end of the rampart when a voice drifted through the growing storm.

"Saix," the voice said calmly. Saix stopped, his hand on the door's handle. He slowly turned, and he could barely make out a slim figure at the far end of the rampart. The figure grew more defined as it approached the pair of Nobodies, though the speaker's soft tone gave away his identify before he even reached them.

"Do you feel uncomfortable inside the castle?" Phantom called as he approached. He stopped just short of them, a bemused grin on his face. "Why else would you hold your meetings in this gale?"

Saix didn't respond, instead glancing over at Zexion, who had his arms folded and was eyeing Phantom with intense annoyance. It was just like Phantom to turn up where he wasn't wanted. He'd probably heard the entire conversation, too.

Phantom took a moment to study them, his infuriating grin still on his face. After several long moments, in which the three of them were pelted by fat raindrops, he spoke.

"Well, I'm here to find out which of you will be participating in the final match," Phantom said. "Any one of you can participate… except, of course, those who have already suffered a loss…" he said, glancing briefly at Saix, whose perpetual scowl deepened. "I wouldn't feel too bad, Saix," Phantom said sardonically. "Ginta's power is quite impressive. I'm certain that even our strongest Knights would have had difficulty with him. Anyway, the last match of the War Games is nothing more than a formality at this point. The _real _war will commence soon after, and I wouldn't want you to miss that," he said, with the slightest edge to his voice.

Saix briefly glanced at Zexion, whose narrowed eyes were scanning Phantom. So he sensed it too…

"Of course," Phantom continued, unaware of the Nobodies' suspicions. "I would think that the obvious choice would be the only member of your group to have yet to participate. What did he say his name was…Roxas, I think?"

Saix groaned. Roxas never did understand the meaning of the word 'covert'. He knew that Roxas could be a bit empty headed at times, but he thought that even he would understand that it was unwise to converse with the enemies' leader. If he wasn't so important to the Organization's plans…

Of course, Zexion would never allow Roxas to fight, he's far too important. Saix hated to admit it, but he actually agreed. He's seen first hand how powerful MAR's fighters are. If he was unable to defeat them, what chance did Roxas have? Zexion was right – Roxas was far too important to risk in a frivolous battle. Without a Keyblade-wielder the Organization's plans would be brought to a standstill. But then again, Phantom will become suspicious if they prevent Roxas from competing, and he can not have any reason to guess at Roxas' importance.

"Roxas can't fight. He's too young," Saix said, failing spectacularly at sounding concerned. "It's too dangerous."

"I wonder, then, why you brought him along at all. Surely you understood the dangers involved in the War Games?" Phantom said wryly. Saix was unsure how to respond.

"He's here to observe," Zexion said, thinking on his feet. "The War Games provided the perfect opportunity for him to understand the necessities of battle."

"He doesn't seem to be learning that lesson," Phantom said with a small laugh. "It seems as though he has an exceptional amount of compassion for a warrior."

_Great_, Saix thought. _What has Roxas done this time?_

"What do you mean?" Saix said exasperatedly.

"Well, he's gotten into the habit of roaming the castle during his downtime," Phantom began. Saix and Zexion shared a glance. This story could not end well. "Now, generally I wouldn't be concerned, but the boy has recently taken to exploring the more… off limits sections of the castle."

"Such as?" Zexion said slowly.

"Oh, the dungeons, mostly," Phantom said. "He broke past our most powerful magical seal using the most peculiar weapon –"

Saix pressed his hand against his forehead. No, not even Roxas was that careless. Unfortunately, he was.

"- a key," Phantom said, enjoying Saix's vexation. If only Roxas wasn't so desperate to hold onto the illusions of his past life. He would be much more effective if he simply ignored his need to fake emotions and do his duty. But, to be fair, he wasn't the only one in the Organization to attempt the farce.

"He practically begged me to postpone my execution of Princess Snow. I must say, he's got quite a strong _heart_," Phantom said, emphasizing the last word. Saix narrowed his eyes. Was Phantom's choice of words arbitrary, or did he really know what they were – and more specifically, what they lacked?

"Now, my initial thought was to kill him," Phantom said. Saix glared at Phantom's insolent expression. He had no idea who he was dealing with. Eliminating him now would save him a lot of trouble. Saix had little doubt that under normal circumstances he and Zexion would be more than a match for Phantom. Unfortunately, his precious moon was currently concealed within the storm clouds, cutting Saix off from his source of power, and he'd yet to have a chance to restore his reserve of magic. And the narrow bridge they were standing on would hinder Zexion, who preferred to have room to let his illusions grow. "But I decided to let him live," Phantom said casually. "Mostly because it would be fascinating to see his weapon in battle," he said, with a hint of desire in his voice that did not go unnoticed by the two Nobodies. Phantom should not be allowed to learn any more about Roxas' Keyblades. They are far too important, and Phantom was exactly the type to try to exploit them. Saix wasn't as adept at sensing the darkness as Zexion was, but even he sensed the immense dark energy radiating from him; the same energy that usually precludes the formation of a Heartless. Phantom would turn soon, and then the mission can finally proceed as planned. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to string him along a little longer. Besides, there's a good chance that Phantom will turn long before Roxas' battle. It would be an acceptable risk. Besides, if Phantom had learned exactly what a Nobody was, he would be far too dangerous to be left alive. One thing was for certain, the Organization could not just abandon MAR.

"Who would Roxas be fighting?" Saix said, avoiding Zexion's gaze, who was clearly giving him a what-are-you-thinking look.

"Ginta, most likely," Phantom said, smiling, then, noticing Saix's frown, added, "Roxas will be quite safe. We all know that Ginta has a strict no kill policy."

Saix thought for a moment. He didn't like the situation, but having Roxas compete would give him an excuse to remain in MAR for a bit longer. He would only have to be patient a little bit longer…

"Fine," Saix said, allowing himself a small grin. Zexion glared at him, but he raised no objections.

"Excellent," Phantom said. "I'm looking forward to it." He then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the two Nobodies standing alone in the gale.

* * *

Ginta and Babbo had been in the Training Gate for almost another month before they received any information from the outside world. He and Babbo had spent a long while discussing various rescue plans, and for the most part, the planning succeeded in keeping his mind from more worrying thoughts. But Ginta couldn't constantly keep his mind busy, and late at night, when his aching muscles prevented him from falling asleep, his thoughts drifted back to MAR. Back to where Jack, Alviss, Nanashi, and Dorothy are fighting for their lives against their toughest opponents yet.

With each passing day the thoughts became more frequent. Surely the first battle must be over by now? Then why hadn't Ginta heard anything? If he hasn't heard anything yet... No, that couldn't be it. He'd be the first to know if something bad happened. They'd send a message down to him. Right?

Another week passed with no news. Ginta's anxiety had grown to such a point that he could no longer contain it by fantasizing about rescuing Snow. He had instead constructed a light workout regimen (which, due to his injuries, took him all day and left him exhausted by nightfall) to keep his mind busy, and another two weeks passed before Ginta received any news from the outside world.

He and Babbo were running laps around a nearby lake (Ginta's pace was so slow that Babbo had no trouble keeping up with him), when Ginta stopped, clutching at his knees.

"You okay?" Babbo said, bouncing up behind him. "I knew we shouldn't have done another lap. You're pushing yourself too hard."

"It's not that," Ginta said, gasping. Ginta closed his eyes, concentrating. Had he only imagined hearing a voice? It was faint and far off, but he was certain that someone was calling his name.

"What's the problem?" Babbo said, but Ginta shushed him. He strained his ears, trying to block out all of the ambient sounds, hoping to isolate the voice.

Babbo, suspecting why Ginta had stopped, said, "You're hearing things.

Ginta didn't respond, and instead set off in the direction of the voice. Babbo followed him, insisting that he was hearing things. But there, standing just at the edge of the woods, a large cloth bag slung over his shoulder, was Jack, Ginta cracked a grin – the first one in a while – and made his way over to him.

At first, Ginta was amazed at how healthy his friend looked – surely his battle wasn't that easy. But as he got closer, Jack's wounds became more apparent; a long row of stitches ran down his right arm, and a large gash across his forehead was seeping blood into his left eye, which was ringed with a nasty black bruise. However, truth be told, he didn't look to shabby coming directly from a fight with a Knight.

"About time you showed up," Ginta said with a grin. "You guys didn't leave me with the best of company." Ginta was so relieved to know that Jack was all right that he regained a bit of his sense of humor.

"I've been bad company? You're the one who was asleep for two weeks! I had no one to talk too!" Babbo said indignantly, but he was grinning all the same.

The three slowly trekked back towards Ginta and Babbo's camp, going slowly because of Jack, who was limping slightly (which suited Ginta fine, since he still wasn't at one hundred percent either). The walk back took almost forty minutes, but it hardly mattered, since Jack took the opportunity to give them a play-by-play of his match against the Knight, Weasel.

Jack reflected on the victory with relish, since Weasel was the Knight that had killed his father in the last War Games. So it was with no small amount of satisfaction that Jack had defeated not one, but two of Weasel's most powerful Guardians. Ginta particularly enjoyed hearing about his new fire Guardian, Kiazoku Fire. He'd never seen Jack use that particular ARM before, and now he wished he had.

Once they made it back to camp they started on lunch, and Ginta asked the question that he'd been dying to ask for a while.

"What took you so long?" Ginta asked through a mouthful of food. Jack had brought with him a stock of food, along with refills of medicine.

"Oh," Jack said, going slightly red. "I wanted to come down earlier, but that blonde nurse wanted to patch me up a bit first," he said, gesturing to the stitches on his arm. Ginta smirked. Somehow, he was sure that Jack didn't make too much of a fuss.

The three took it easy for the rest of the day. Ginta and Babbo explained their plan to save Snow. Jack enthusiastically added his input, but Ginta could tell that he wasn't completely comfortable with attacking the Chess Piece's stronghold. Of course, since the plan basically consisted of, 'attack castle; rescue Snow', that was understandable.

Ginta wanted to get back to his exercise regime, but he decided to give Jack a day to rest. It came as a surprise, then, when Jack was the first one up, ready to go.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Ginta said, as he and Jack stretched before their workout.

"Of course," Jack said, trying to suppress a wince as stretched out his injured leg. "I feel fine. Besides, we need to get you back into shape. Especially if you're going to be fighting Phantom."

Ginta poked gingerly at one of the slack muscles of his arm. He had definitely atrophied a bit during his recovery. Jack was right; he had to get back into fighting form if he was going to have any chance of competing against Phantom. He still had several months, but Phantom was the best of the best – even that might not be enough.

The three teammates eventually came up with a workout regimen, and even though it was light at first, once Ginta and Jack had healed a bit more, the workouts became more intense. After weeks of swimming, running, calisthetics, and lifting boulders, they got another visitor, Nanashi.

Nanashi, amazingly, didn't have a scratch on him. Besides slight muscle fatigue and severely depleted magic, he was completely unharmed – which was unheard of for someone who had just finished fighting a Knight. This became even more astounding when he revealed that his opponent had been Phantom's right-hand man, Peta. Ginta, Babbo, and Jack listened eagerly as Nanashi recapped his fight. How the two of them fought equally at first, but Peta's skill, stamina, and deadly collection of powerful ARM left Nanashi near death. But, Nanashi, who had learned his lesson after his match with Axel, used his Aegis Shield to heal his wounds and refill his willpower.

"It only works on me though," Nanashi said. "If I could have, I'd have used it to heal you, Ginta."

"Don't worry about it. I'm all healed up now. And after all the exercising we've been doing, I'm stronger than ever!" he said, flexing his bicep.

"Stop showing off, Ginta," Babbo said testily. "I want to hear about the rest of the fight."

"Well, after healing, I managed to destroy Peta's Bloody Body ARM – the one that was protecting him from my physical strikes," Nanashi said. "After that, we both summoned our Guardians, and I came out on top."

"Good," Ginta "That means were that much closer to winning the War Games!"

"Not to mention that there's one less Chess Piece to fight," Jack said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Not exactly," Nanashi sighed. "I beat Peta, but he managed to teleport away before I could finish him. He has the same zombie tattoo that Alviss has, and somehow it kept him tethered to life long enough to escape." Nanashi shook his head. "After all that, I still haven't been able to avenge my comrades," he said bitterly.

"You'll have another chance," Ginta assured him. "You can challenge him when we go to rescue Snow!" He then told Nanashi all about his plan to rescue the princess. Unfortunately, even with Jack's input the plan had failed to evolve past 'all out assault' and 'hope for the best', so Nanashi was less then impressed.

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," Nanashi said, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Ginta said. "We can't just leave Snow with them!"

"I agree," Nanashi said. "But you still have to defeat Phantom, and that's not going to be a cake walk." He suddenly jumped up and summoned his Griffin Lance.  
"Come on," he said, brandishing his weapon. "We've got a few weeks before Alviss shows up. Let's see what you've got."

The ensuing few weeks went by in a blur of sparring and exercises. Like Jack, Nanashi seemed intent on ensuring that Ginta was in perfect form for his match against Phantom. He spent several hours a day instructing Ginta on his own style of fighting, which consisted almost exclusively of improvisation.

"That's one of the things being a thief teaches you," Nanashi said as he lashed out with his lance. Ginta sidestepped, then lunged with his own strike. "Never be a slave to form," Nanashi explained while blocking the attack. "Guards, soldiers, other thieves," he said, slashing away at Ginta. "They all fight differently. You can never learn all off the different styles and variations. The only way to beat the unknown is to adapt," he said, lashing out with a low kick that caught Ginta right in the shin. He quickly pressed the attack, effortlessly weaving together an entirely unique string of strikes. Ginta tripped backwards and fell. Ginta sullenly transformed Babbo back into his normal state.

"Not bad," Nanashi said, shouldering his lance. "But you need to think outside the box."

Ginta suddenly grinned, and with a swift motion whipped Babbo around Nanashi's leg, yanking him flat onto his back.

"How's that for outside the box?" Ginta said, laughing. Nanashi didn't answer for a bit, since he had the wind knocked out of him. When he finally did push himself to his feet, he seemed awfully pleased.

"Now you're getting it," he said, grinning. "That's how you fight like a thief from Luberia."

Nanashi, who seemed satisfied that he had taught Ginta everything he could, suggested that the group break from lunch, with the provision that they have another round of sparring before dinner. They never got the chance, however, as halfway through the meal they got another visitor – Alviss.

The group immediately pestered Alviss for the details of his match, but the extent of the debriefing on his rematch with the Knight Rolan was a simple, "I won." He immediately plowed onward with Ginta's training.

Alviss' style was almost the polar opposite of Nanashi's. While Nanashi preferred a loose style based on adaptability, Alviss focused on structure and tight form.

"That's the thing about intense battles," Alviss said, as he forced Ginta to repeat the same combination of techniques he'd already done a thousand times before. "When things start getting tense, it's easy to get flustered. When that happens, it's almost impossible to think straight. At times like these, it's best to be able to fall back on your training."

"But it's so boring!" Ginta said, as he once again performed a string of attacks that were now so second nature he was sure he could do them in his sleep.

"Good," Alviss said. "You need to be able to remain calm, and use your focus to learn about the enemy and his fighting style."

Ginta tried swinging Babbo's dagger form again, but his arm refused to cooperate.

"That's it," he said, sinking onto the cool grass. "I'm spent."

"We'll try again tomorrow," Alviss said, dismissing his staff.

Luckily, Ginta was not put through the same training the following day. This was because Dorothy finally arrived. Like Alviss, she didn't elaborate on her match beyond the fact that she won, and instead was quick to take up Ginta's next round of training.

To be honest, after all of the intense physical training he'd been subjected to, Ginta was actually looking forward to some magic lessons. But after a couple of sessions of training – which involved Ginta rapidly switching between Babbo's different forms, as well as shortening the time it took for him to synch with Gargoyle – and both Ginta and Babbo agreed they'd rather be back running combinations with Alviss.

"I never thought using magic was this difficult," Ginta panted, after he had rapidly dumped a large portion of his magic into Gargoyle, who was hovering before him.

Dorothy placed a hand on Gargoyle. "Well, this form has definitely gotten a lot stronger," she said. "But you're still not very efficient at synching with it."

"I'm just so drained," Ginta said, panting. He'd been spending the last three hours synching with, summoning, and dismissing Gargoyle, and even though he hadn't moved from the spot that he started, he was physically exhausted.

"Well, I suppose we can break for a bit," Dorothy said, relenting. "I'm sure Babbo's pretty tired too. It's odd, trying to train someone to use a sentient ARM."

Ginta dismissed Gargoyle for what felt like the thousandth time, and as soon as he could he collapsed to the ground. The others were forced to bring the meal to him and Babbo since they were too exhausted to move.

"Hmm, maybe we'll cancel this evening's training session," Dorothy remarked, noticing how both of them could barely keep their eyes open.

"That's a good idea," Alviss said, consulting a special time keeping ARM he brought with him. "The final match is in about ten minutes back in MAR, so you two have about ten hours to rest up."

"Here Ginta, drink this," Dorothy said, tossing a small crystal vial to him. "It's a special medicine from Kaldea. It should do wonders for your magic. You should drink some too, Babbo."

Ginta, who had long since come to enjoy the taste of magic-replenishing medicine, quickly downed half of the vial, before offering the rest to Babbo. He immediately felt a rush of energy as his body filled to the brim with magic.

"Wow!" Ginta gasped.

"Thought you'd like that," Dorothy said, grinning.

"That was excellent!" Babbo said, equally enthused.

"I'm ready to fight now!" Ginta said, jumping up onto his still shaky knees.

"Relax," Alviss said. "You're body still needs rest. Get some sleep. Remember who you're fighting tomorrow."

Ginta's enthusiasm evaporated as quickly as it had come. This was it - his match against Phantom. The fight that he'd been training the past six months for; the fight that if he loses, will cause all of Team MAR to lose; the fight that has the very real possibility of ending his life. The culmination of all that he's been working towards. The entire reason he was summoned to MAR in the first place. The same reason that his father had been summoned years before… and it was this battle where he had died.

It was with no small apprehension that Ginta and Babbo exited the Training Gate, flanked by Jack, Nanashi, Alviss, and Dorothy. Giara, Ed, and Belle – along with every inhabitant of the castle – were waiting for them in the main courtyard. By the looks on all of their faces it was apparent that something was wrong. Ginta instinctively looked over to the battleground.

"No," Ginta gasped, once he saw the lone figure standing there. He'd recognize the black coat and silver pull-strings anywhere, but it was the blond, spiky hair and the blue eyes that seemed to freeze Ginta in place. He's not fighting Phantom. He's fighting Roxas.

Ginta felt his throat catch, which is odd, since he had been expecting Phantom, and he should be viewing this as a relief. Organization members were strong, but surely not as strong as the most powerful Knight in all of the Chess Piece Army. Anyway, he'd already taken down Saix, so he was pretty confident that he could handle another member.

No, his apprehension spawned from something entirely different. Ginta was so sure that Roxas had a change of heart – like Ian. He was so sure that Roxas' apology was sincere. Guess not.

"Ginta, please take your position," Pozan called before any of the others could comment on Ginta's last minute change of opponent.

"It doesn't matter who our opponent is. We can't afford to lose," Babbo reminded him as they stepped into the ring.

"I know," Ginta sighed. He took his place opposite Roxas and waited for Pozan to start the match. The imp, however, was milking the tension for all it was worth, so Ginta briefly surveyed his opponent, taking special note of his blue eyes, which were narrowed in cold determination.

"The final battle will be between Ginta, of Team MAR, and Roxas, of Organization XIII," Pozan waited a few more seconds, his arm raised, before swinging it down. "Begin!"

The two opponents immediately sprung into action. A flash of light at Ginta's right hand signaled Babbo's transformation into his dagger form, while a similarly bright burst of light flashed at Roxas' left hand, while what appeared to be solid shadow engulfed his right. A second later what appeared to be two giant keys – one glistening white, the other pitch black - popped into his grip, and he was off, sprinting towards Ginta.

The two met in the middle of the arena, their weapons clanging against one another as Ginta blocked a double strike from Roxas' keys, which, up close, seemed much sharper than they had originally appeared.

Ginta stepped sideways, repositioning his feet according to the defensive style Alviss had beaten into his brain. His right arm snapped up to parry another blow, and Ginta immediately repositioned himself to Roxas' left, his dagger automatically striking at Roxas chest. Apparently Alviss' training wasn't arbitrary. Ginta was dueling like he'd never dueled before, which was a good thing, since it was immediately obvious that Roxas had also been through significant training as well.

His form had a graceful, yet dizzying, complexity to it. The way his keys deftly spun in his hands, each one striking and blocking as if it had a mind of its own. Ginta couldn't help but take notice of Roxas' expert use of feints to try to draw Ginta's attention away from the key that was actually moving to strike – a concept that Alviss had tried in vain to teach Ginta. There was no doubt in his mind that, had he fought Roxas a few matches before, he'd have been massacred.

But would Roxas really have tried to kill him? Obviously, the Organization and the Chess Pieces had no qualms about killing (Alan's last match still was a painful memory). But Roxas was so young – practically the same age as Ginta. And Ginta was certain that he couldn't take a life. Would Roxas have the same reservations?

"_That's dangerous thinking,_" Babbo's voice rang in his head. Ginta forgot that he and Babbo shared a telepathic connection when in this form. He must have inadvertently been broadcasting his thoughts to the ARM.

"_I know,_" Ginta thought back, trying to draw his focus back to the battle. But he couldn't shake the thought from his mind, so he transitioned to some defense blocks, retreating while he continued the conversation. "_I just have this feeling… Maybe he isn't so bad. Remember how sorry Roxas was back when we met him?_

_ "Did it ever occur to you that he was lying?" _Babbo retorted_. _Ginta had to admit that the thought hadn't occurred to him. "_You're far too trusting,_" Babbo responded. _"Stay focused. We have to win this battle. For Snow's sake. We can't risk her safety on the off chance that one of our enemies will have a change of heart_". Ginta reluctantly agreed. "_Now stop blocking and attack!_"

Ginta shook his head, breaking his train of thought. Shifting his weight forward, he slashed with his dagger, stringing together a rather simple but swift combo. Roxas hardly seemed phased by his change in tactics, and responded by deftly spinning his white key, parrying the combination, while his jet black key responded with a dizzying figure-eight series of cuts. Ginta stepped backwards, blocking the strike but forfeiting his chance to counterattack. Ginta repositioned himself at Roxas' side and attempted another attack, but Roxas once again out maneuvered him, forcing him back onto defense.

"_This isn't working, Ginta_," Babbo's voice rang in his mind.

"I know," Ginta muttered. He took a deep breath, quelling the frustration that was building inside of him. He shoved his reservations about fighting Roxas to the backburner. His only focus now should be to survive.

This was exactly like the battle with Saix – always defense, never offense. Ginta allowed his muscle memory to kick in while he let his mind drift back to his training with Alviss. He mentally checked off all of the techniques and combinations he had learned, noting grimly that none of them were working. Perhaps an expert like Alviss knew of some way to counter Roxas, but Ginta was drawing a blank. His time in the Training Gate had been too brief to learn the advanced skills that he need now so desperately… meaning that it was time to think outside of the box.

Ginta stepped back, blocking Roxas' next intricate combination, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. After a few more parries he saw his opening. Ginta's right arm snapped forward, stabbing directly at Roxas' chest. Roxas predictably moved to block it, which is when Ginta transformed Babbo into his hammer form. Roxas' key glanced off of the rounded side, and the hammer plowed into his stomach. Roxas slid backwards, his black shoes digging in to slow himself. Returning Babbo to his normal form, Ginta whipped him forward. Roxas crossed his two keys to block the strike, and Ginta flicked his wrist, wrapping Babbo's long chain around them. Ginta dug his feet in as he pulled, ripping the weapons from Roxas' hands. The two keys were barely flying over his shoulder when Ginta quickly switched to Babbo's Bubble Launcher form. He pulled the trigger and increased his magic, focusing the bubbles into a stream that quickly impacted Roxas.

The arena shuddered as the bubbles exploded, blasting Roxas back and filling the arena with thick clouds of smoke.

"_He's unarmed!" _Babbo said_. "Now's your chance!" _

"Right!" Ginta said, launching himself into the smoke, transforming Babbo into his dagger form as he went.

The smoke was so heavy and thick that it looked liked they materialized out of thin air. Both of Roxas' keys were flying towards him, their sharp edges glinting dangerously. Ginta managed to block the white one, but the black grazed his shoulder, opening up a long gash.

"There's no way," Ginta said, gazing fruitlessly through the smoke. How did Roxas get his weapons back so quickly? Did he somehow pass him in the smoke? Could he teleport like Xigbar? It didn't matter – once again Roxas was unarmed – Ginta was sure of it this time. The white key was lying on the ground several feet away, and the black one was behind him. Ginta couldn't resist glancing over his shoulder, just to make sure.

"Impossible," Ginta gasped, realizing that the key was no where to be seen. He looked back over at Roxas, and couldn't believe his eyes. Both keys were once again clutched in his grip, and there was no way he could have collected them again without Ginta noticing. Roxas wasn't giving him anytime to process this new information though, as he once again hurled both his keys at Ginta. Ginta transformed Babbo into his hammer form, timed his attack, and then punched, sending both keys clattering to the ground.

The white key was suddenly obscured by a bright flash of light, while the black one seemed to dissolve into blackness. The same flash of light and shadow formed around Roxas' hands, and the keys popped back into view.

_"So that's how he's doing that,"_ Babbo said grimly. Ginta frowned. This was going to complicate things. And they were already pretty complicated. He was so sure that Roxas was, deep down, one of the good guys.

Roxas charged, the tips of his keys kicking up sparks as they dragged across the stone tile. Ginta made sure that Babbo was in his hammer form before rushing to meet him. He had favored Babbo's dagger form during much of his training, but he noticed that Roxas was having a bit of trouble compensating for the round hammer. Sure enough, both of Roxas' keys glanced off, leaving him wide open for a swift three jab combination. Roxas countered with a backhanded swing of his white key, but Ginta ducked underneath, transforming Babbo into his second form as the blade grazed the top of his hair.

Planting his feet, Ginta pressed the barrel of the bubble launcher against Roxas' chest. A stream of bubbles erupted from the barrel and immediately exploded, lifting Roxas off his feet and hurling him backwards.

In one swift movement Ginta transformed Babbo back to his base form as he spun on his heel, building momentum and whipping him around into the still airborne Roxas.

Roxas' keys clattered to the ground as Roxas was thrown across the arena. But just before he hit the ground he back-flipped, reorienting himself and landing on all fours, his feet and fingers gripping hard as he slowed himself. He pushed himself up, his keys snapping back into his hands.

Ginta was quick to press the attack, but Roxas suddenly spun around, throwing his keys in a wide arc around him. Ginta slid to a stop just inches away from their deadly blades.

"You felt his magic increase?" Babbo asked him. Ginta nodded. Roxas' last attack was accompanied by a significant increase in his magic. So he was finally ready to start fighting for real. Ginta took a moment to increase his own magic to roughly the same level before closing the distance between them, transforming Babbo into his hammer form as he went.

Ginta was right to suspect that Roxas had been through significant training. After only a few moments of fighting he already had adapted to Babbo's hammer form. Instead of striking directly, Roxas was relying heavily on feints to create and opening in Ginta's defense before striking with the other key - and it was working. Ginta found that much of the time he was only blocking air, while Roxas was able to land a few decisive hits – grazing Ginta's left shoulder with a sharp cut.

It was amazing, really, how powerful the Organization was. Every single one of them seemed to be in complete control of their battle (well, except perhaps for Demyx), and Roxas was no different. By the way he fought, it was clear that he'd been in battle several times before. His expert skill; his calm, focused gaze; this was not someone who picked up the sword to defend others. Roxas had chosen this life. How many battles had he been in? How many others had he killed? Had he lied to them, just as he had lied to Ginta? And what kind of organization trained people so young to fight so ruthlessly?

"Why did you lie?" Ginta blurted as he lunged forward. Roxas sidestepped, but as Ginta passed by him he could clearly see the confusion on his face – and something else, too. "When you said you were sorry about Snow," Ginta continued, hoping to get an answer. Maybe, if Roxas was to admit that he lied, then Ginta wouldn't feel so bad about beating him.

"I didn't," Roxas said, but he did so as he threw one of his keys, which grinded against Ginta's dagger form, so Ginta was pretty sure that he was lying again.

"But you'll still fight for the Chess Pieces, even though they kidnapped her?" Ginta snarled, retaliating with a few slashes of his own. Perhaps Roxas was taken aback, since all of Ginta's combination connected, opening up a few gashes along his arms and torso. "You're not any better than they are," Ginta pressed. Roxas shook his head, a look of defiance on his face.

"I'm not like them," he said.

"Liar!" Ginta shouted, and in his anger he telegraphed his attack so obviously that Roxas easily was able to jump back. "You fight for them, so you're just as bad as them! Tell me, for all of the 'sorrow' you had over Snow getting hurt, did you care at all when they captured her?" Ginta asked, taking advantage of the lull in their battle to voice a question that had been bothering him for a while. "Is she even alive?" he said, and despite his rage, there was a note of desperation in his voice.

Roxas averted his eyes – odd since they were in the middle of a life-or-death fight. But Ginta wouldn't press the attack. He wanted an answer. Roxas remained silent, but his expression was torn. Finally, he responded.

"Yes, she is," he said, and once again he sounded sincere.

"I don't believe you," Ginta said, though he desperately hoped that he was wrong. "You can fake it all you like, but you don't care," Roxas looked immensely uncomfortable. "You have no emotion!"

"Enough!" Roxas shouted, and Ginta felt another spike in his magic. Roxas quickly dashed forward, and the battle continued, and it was clear that if Roxas had been holding back before, he was going all out now. His increase in magic was accompanied by a great increase in his speed and agility. One moment he was striking at Ginta's front, and as soon as Ginta countered Roxas would unleash a burst of speed, pivoting behind Ginta to continue his assault. Ginta found himself dipping deeper and deeper into his store of magic just to keep up with him, but even then he couldn't block everything.

Roxas opened up three cuts across his back before Ginta was forced to use his Bubble Launcher to fire a ring of bubbles around him, just to keep Roxas at bay and give himself some breathing room. His respite only lasted a few seconds, since Roxas was now moving so quickly he was a shimmering blur.

"_I told you"_ Babbo said. _"He's just like the others."_

"_At least now I know for sure," _Ginta responded. _"Now I don't have any reservations."_

Roxas ran in circles around Ginta, so quickly that it looked like he was in multiple places at once. Ginta threw a wild punch once he was in range, but Roxas had already pivoted behind him. Ginta spun around, transforming Babbo back to his normal form and swinging low behind him, hoping to catch Roxas off-guard. Roxas leapt over the chain, arching high over Ginta's head. Ginta bent his legs and jumped backwards, pushing off hard against the stone tile as both of Roxas' keys slammed into the ground, a web of cracks blossoming at the impact.

Ginta whipped Babbo towards him, but Roxas summoned his keys and batted him away.

"Why are you doing this?" Ginta shouted, swinging Babbo again. "All of you Nobodies? Why are you destroying this world!?" he shouted, preparing to whip Babbo again.

Roxas paused for a moment, his eyes downcast. Ginta paused, just for a second. "You don't have to do this."

That was when the first pillar knocked him off his feet.

Roxas swung his Keyblade, unleashing the pocket of light element that he had been storing in it. The element shot from the Oblivion, and using his tight control of his magic, Roxas molded it into a pillar, which gracefully glided towards Ginta, picking up speed. The pillar slammed him in the chest, lifting him off his feet and depositing him several yards away.

Roxas continued the motion, his Oathkeeper twirling in his hands as he spun around, building up momentum. At the last moment, though, he pulled back, reigning in the magic he had stored in it. The impulse to pull back his attack came about just as suddenly as his decision to unleash it. In any case, Ginta was too far away to hit with another one – he'd just dodge it. Roxas breathed deeply through his nose, focusing more magic into the Oblivion, just in case.

He hadn't really wanted to use one of his light pillars, but in his last burst of anger (and, was it perhaps, shame?) he had let one slip out. However, seeing as how the fighting was going, he was probably going to have to use them eventually anyway.

Ginta was a much better fighter than Roxas had expected. Ginta's style of fighting was clumsy, yet effective. Babbo's close combat transformation fused him to Ginta's arm, rendering him unable to use some of the more elegant and flashy moves that Roxas favored. But, he made up for this with raw, simplistic style that nevertheless was effective.

Of course, normally Roxas would have no problem with another swordsman. Despite how powerful Ginta was, Roxas never expected to have much trouble up close. But then again, this Ginta was completely different from the one he had seen before. Ever since Roxas had been informed that he was going to be fighting Ginta in the final battle, Zexion had been tutoring him for hours on end. He had recorded all of Ginta's previous battles in his Lexicon, and made sure that Roxas knew each bit of information by heart.

But this Ginta was completely different from the one he had read about. His speed and skill had improved quite significantly since his fight with Saix. But what really set him apart – even from the other fighter from Team MAR – was his seemingly newfound ability to rapidly change between Babbo's various forms. Roxas found that even he was having trouble dueling up close when the threat of Ginta's Bubble Launcher was always present.

Ginta finally had regained his feet, his eyes narrowed. That was another new thing about Ginta – his anger. Roxas hadn't expected that, either. He was caught off guard by Ginta's comments; his accusations; and for some reason, his remarks managed to elicit that same feeling that had been dogging Roxas for several days – specifically, the sensation of rocks rolling around in his stomach. A sensation which had been present ever since Alan had been killed. Something about that hadn't sat right with Roxas…and now Saix was expecting him to do the same to Ginta.

Before the match Saix had pinned him to the wall so forcefully hat he snapped Roxas' head against the stone. He still had a lump.

"_You had better kill him_," he snarled, his yellow eyes glinting dangerously. "_If you don't, I'll ensure that Lord Xemnas turns you into a Dusk. Not even you are irreplaceable_."

Roxas thought briefly on whether Saix actually would back up his threat. He'd never seen anyone get turned into a Dusk, but by the way all the others acted, it was a very real punishment.

Punishment; killing Ginta; rocks in his stomach. Roxas grit his teeth. . He could feel himself growing annoyed. Fighting Heartless never made him feel like this. Destroy the Heartless – collect the heart – get ice cream. That was as complicated as it ever got. But ever since he got to MAR, these stupid – emotions, for lack of a better word – have cropped up inside him. All he wanted was for them to go away. Roxas gripped his Keyblades, a red hot burning sensation building inside him. A sensation that temporarily overpowered, but failed to eliminate, the rocks in his stomach. Winning was the only way he would get relief. Once the battle was over, things could go back to the way they were. No more second guessing. No more wondering. No more rocks rolling around in his stomach. He made his decision – he was going to end this fight, whatever it took. At that thought the uncomfortable pain in his stomach spiked, bringing new objections with it, but Roxas pushed them down. He had to focus on winning, and nothing else. It was that simple.

Roxas sped forward, his element augmenting his speed so much that he was leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake as he zigzagged towards Ginta.

At first, it was obvious that Ginta was dazzled by Roxas' display of speed. Half the time he was swinging at the spot Roxas had been standing in only a moment before. Roxas took advantage of the situation by using an extra burst of speed to pivot behind him (a technique he liked to use when training against Dusks – to confuse them) and unleash a flurry of blows.

To Ginta's credit, he was keeping up with him fairly well. Despite Roxas' speed, Ginta was still able to block most of the attacks. Still, a few connected; two large cuts opened up on his leg and shoulder as Roxas' Keyblades sliced into them.

Ginta gave a shout of pain, stumbling forward slightly, before using his Bubble Launcher to unleash a ring of explosive bubbles.

Roxas deftly leapt back, using a duel Strike Raid to harmlessly detonate them. Ginta hung back, his Launcher trained on Roxas as he thought about what to do next. Apparently he had given up on trying a direct assault, and luckily he seemed to be tired of shouting accusations. Apparently he was just as determined to win as Roxas, though he seemed to be changing tactics. Roxas was just too skilled up close – a fact that bothered Roxas somewhat. Up close he definitely had Ginta beat, but that was only because Ginta was holding back. Roxas could sense that he was keeping a portion of his magic in reserve. But for what? He easily could be keeping pace with Roxas if he used it – perhaps even be beating him. But for some reason he seemed content to fight at range while he kept his magic in reserve. Of course, Roxas had some ranged attacks of his own.

Roxas withdrew the magic he had stored in the Oblivion, instead keeping it located just at his palm. He dismissed the Keyblade, before turning and facing his palm towards Ginta. Ginta eyed the hand, uncertain of what was coming next.

A small, pearl colored orb began to form against Roxas' gloved palm.

Ginta immediately shifted his weight, preparing to dodge at a moment's notice. Suddenly, a small, silvery ribbon of light shot from the orb; Ginta deftly jumped out of the way, but the strand changed direction midflight, before impacting Ginta's chest. He looked down at the tendril, a bewildered look on his face. He tried to rip it off, but it was stuck. Other than that, it didn't seem to have done any damage.

Ginta had just raised his Launcher to retaliate when Roxas fired the orb. The ball of light surged down the ribbon, following its snake-like path as it homed in on Ginta. Ginta began dodging left and right, but the ribbon stayed connected to him, and the orb adamantly homed in on his trail.

A few seconds later there was a brilliant flash of light as the orb connected. Roxas was certain that the attack had hit him. He wasn't as adept at reading magic levels as say, Zexion or Vexen, but he was certain that Ginta's power had dipped just as the attack hit.

It took a few seconds for Roxas' eyes to readjust from the dazzling light, but when they did he couldn't believe them. Yes, his attack had hit, but the dip in power he had sensed wasn't from Ginta' taking damage.

Standing unharmed in the middle of the arena was an orange-tinted Ginta. Roxas had to admire his ingenuity. At the last moment he had surround himself in a thin coating of Babbo's jelly form – absorbing all of the damage. A moment later the jelly disappeared, and Babbo reappeared in Ginta's grip. So he could switch rapidly into that form, too. That was going to complicate things.

"Nice try," Ginta said, transforming Babbo into his hammer form. "But I won't go down so easy. You're going to have to take me seriously."

Roxas shook his head, summoning the Oblivion. "All right, then. This is me fighting seriously."

Roxas took a moment to concentrate more of his light into each Keyblade before he took off, the Oathkeeper and Oblivion twirling in his hands. Ginta quickly swapped out Babbo's Hammer form for his Bubble Launcher, causing Roxas to stop short.

A stream of bubbles streamed towards Roxas, but it only took two quick swings of his Keyblades to release two more pillars, which detonated the bubbles as they plowed through. Ginta combat rolled to the side, dodging both pillars. He rolled onto one a knee and squeezed off another salvo of bubbles. Roxas cross slashed with his Keyblades, sending two more pillars his way.

They continued like this for several more seconds – the arena was brimming with pink Babbo-bubbles, skating light pillars, and smoke and ash. But neither fighter let up. Ginta was deftly weaving between pillars – and donning his jelly-armor for the ones he couldn't dodge – while keeping up a steady stream of explosive bubbles. Roxas had taken to flipping over and sliding under the bubbles as he unleashed wave after wave of his light pillars.

Despite the chaos the two somehow met in the middle of the smoke filled arena. The Bubble Launcher was instantly replaced by Babbo's Hammer as Roxas slashed with his Keyblades. Ginta punched one strike aside, and Roxas continued with the motion, releasing another pillar as he slashed with the Oblivion.

Ginta barely dodged the pillar, rolling behind Roxas in the process. Roxas responded with a swift backhanded slash from his Oathkeeper, which embedded itself in something soft and squishy. For a moment Roxas was certain (and slightly horrified) that it had lodged itself in Ginta's side. But when he turned to look, he saw an unharmed Ginta, covered from head to toe in his jelly-armor. Not only that, but it seemed as though Roxas' Keyblade was stuck inside. He tugged fruitlessly at his weapon for a second, before remembering that he could simply summon it free. The Oathkeeper disappeared in a flash of light before reappearing in his hand, but that moment of hesitation was all Ginta needed.

It took all of half a second for the jelly armor to disappear and the Bubble Launcher to appear in Ginta's hand. He placed the barrel right next to Roxas' head and pulled the trigger. This time, though, the gun didn't fire a steady stream of bubbles. Instead, one massive, red bubble blossomed from the barrel. It wasn't even completely free when Roxas felt it brush against his temple.

A wave of heat and sound washed over Roxas as he was lifted several yards into the air. Both his Keyblades were blown from his grip as the arena flashed by in a dizzying blur. He landed hard on his shoulder, but the force of the explosion carried him several more yards before finally depositing him in a crumpled heap.

Roxas' ears were ringing, and when he tried to open his eyes the world spun around him. It took at least ten more seconds before he could manage to push himself onto his knees. He closed his eyes hard for a few more seconds, willing them to see straight, before glancing up.

Far on the other side of the arena was Ginta, clutching at his left arm. Apparently he had been caught in the blast as well. He, however, was already standing, though he was wobbling slightly. His eyes were narrowed, but he was grinning.

"Guardian ARM, Gargoyle!" he shouted, raising Babbo into the air.

Roxas swallowed. He now realized why Ginta had been keeping his magic in reserve. It was so he could synch with Gargoyle. He never was trying to win up close – he just needed the chance to dump as much of his magic as he could into his Guardian. Roxas was sure that Zexion was cursing right now.

"_Never let Ginta summon Gargoyle," _Zexion had instructed him before the match. _"That's almost always how he wins his battles." _His Lexicon flipped its pages, displaying image after image of Ginta winning his fights with the beast. _ "Finish him before he gets the chance."_

If he'd thought this battle was complicated before, it had just become a disaster. Roxas pushed himself to a standing position just as the great beast appeared before him with a mighty roar. Floating just off the ground on a giant crystal, its foot long claws flexing slightly, it would have been easy to mistake for a Heartless. But Roxas was sure that it was stronger than any Heartless he had ever faced.

"This is your last opportunity to surrender," Ginta called over to him. Roxas summoned both of his Keyblades as a response. Saix would never accept surrender. Besides, Roxas just wasn't one to give up. "Fine," Ginta said, shaking his head. "Go get him," he said to Gargoyle.

The behemoth was much faster than Roxas was prepared for as it sped towards him. Roxas barely had time to unleash a couple of pillars before it was upon him. The beast carelessly brushed the pillars with a single massive claw, sending them ricocheting off to the sides.

Roxas tapped into his increased agility as he prepared to run. If he could get around Gargoyle, he might be able to reach Ginta, who looked too injured to take much more damage. The thought had barely crossed Roxas' mind when Gargoyle backhanded him with such force that once again both of Roxas' Keyblades slipped from his grasp.

This time Roxas flipped in midair, landing on his feet. Both his Keyblades popped back into his hands. Unfortunately, Gargoyle had repositioned itself between Roxas and Ginta. Its long arms gave it quite impressive reach. Roxas was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to get around it. Then he would just have to go through it.

Roxas briefly closed his eyes, focusing a huge portion of his magic into each of his Keyblades. When he opened his eyes he found that Gargoyle was rushing towards him, its claws clenched into massive fists.

This time, Roxas ran straight for it.

At the last moment he activated one of his strongest techniques. Two blades of light wrapped around his Keyblades, coating them in his element and stretching for several feet past their normal tips. Roxas quickly switched to the offensive. His light-augmented Keyblades twirled in his hands, easily absorbing the massive impact of Gargoyle's strikes while dealing out vicious blows of their own. While Gargoyle had significantly more resistance to the attack than Roxas had hoped, it was beginning to backpedal as it was overwhelmed by Roxas' onslaught. It was almost pushed all the way back to the other side of the arena when it gave a powerful roar. Suddenly all of the wind was knocked out of Roxas as both of the beast's massive claws wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his side. Roxas struggled, but the beast's grip was too strong; its powerful claws were strangling the life from his body. Roxas could barely breathe. Not only that, but it was slowly lifting him in front of its giant maw.

"I can't afford to hold back," Ginta said, and although his voice was hard, Roxas could see a hint of reservation in his eyes.

A large ball of light began to from between Gargoyle's jaws. It grew bigger and bigger, its intense heat washing over Roxas, who continued to struggle fruitlessly.

This was it, Roxas was sure of it. He could sense a massive amount of energy radiating from the attack. He was pinned, helpless against Ginta's strongest ARM. He was going to be destroyed by a ball of light – by his own element.

Wait – a ball of light? Gargoyle used light as its element? If it did, then perhaps Roxas could survive. It was a risky move that he'd never had cause to try – he'd never encountered a Heartless that used light as its element. It wouldn't be a particularly efficient move – and it would leave Roxas almost completely drained, but what other choice did he have?

Roxas tried to steady his nerves as he dug deep into his store of magic, raising every last drop to the surface. It easily filled his entire body. Good – he was going to need it.

"Fire!" Ginta shouted, and the ball of light rushed towards Roxas. At that moment Roxas unleashed all of his light element. Not as pillar, or an orb, but as an aura. Thin waves of light began to wash up and around Roxas, completely encasing him.

Gargoyle's light beam clashed against it, but since the two elements were the same, they began to mix. Roxas could feel the intense energy issuing from the beasts mouth as it was barely held at bay by his own magic. He could even sense the light element all the way at its source – at Ginta. And it was dwindling rapidly.

Of course, Roxas' own power level was quickly being consumed as well. He'd wished he had spent more time learning how to use his element defensively now. His aura was only protecting him because both the elements were the same, and at about equal power. But it required constant release of raw light – which was something he'd never trained for. His magic was draining fast – but not as fast as Ginta's, which by now had almost dwindled to zero.

Despite the immense strain that his body was under, Roxas couldn't suppress a small smile. He'd be the first one to ever defeat Gargoyle. That should get Saix off of his back. The smile disappeared almost as quickly as it came. If he won the battle, that would mean that Ginta losses. Roxas' felt the sudden return of the rocks in his stomach as the full extent of the realization hit him.

If Ginta lost, then all of MAR would lose as well. Phantom and all of the Chess Pieces would win. They'd probably immediately launch an all out attack. Ginta and the others would be executed on the spot, that was for sure. The way Phantom was so flippant about killing Snow made him suspect as much. He wasn't sure what would happen to the rest of the world's inhabitants though. But he had a sneaky suspicion that everyone would be a lot worse off.

And for what? So that the Organization could gather a few more hearts? But even that wouldn't work. None of the Chess Pieces appeared likely to turn into Heartless, and killing Ginta wouldn't help further the Organization's plans either. Anyway, it didn't seem right to try turning innocent people into Heartless. It was as good as killing them, and even though some of the other Nobodies thought this was acceptable collateral damage, the idea never sat well with Roxas. He wanted to protect people from the Heartless, not turn them into them. No, perhaps winning wasn't the best course of action.

At that thought the ache in his stomach immediately relented. Instead, it was replaced by a warm, glowing sense of peace. Roxas didn't even have to think about it anymore. He'd made up his mind.

The aura of light encasing Roxas flickered and died as he lowered his guard. The last, stinging vestiges of Gargoyle's beam attack washed over him. He was engulfed in pain, but the suffering lasted only a second as Ginta's magic finally ran out.

The tight, suffocating grip of Gargoyle loosened, and Roxas slipped from his grasp as the giant beast disappeared, reverting back to Babbo's regular form. Ginta was barely on his feet and he was clutching at his knees for support. He was panting, and beads of sweat dripped from his brow.

Roxas quickly surveyed the crowd. Their faces were plastered with worry and bewilderment. The idea crossed Roxas' mind that his blinding aura had prevented anyone from seeing what had happened. Everyone – Pozan included – was waiting with bated breath to see which fighter fell first.

Trying to look convincing, Roxas swayed slightly, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground. He heard the crowd take a collective gasp. There was a few moments of silence, before Roxas heard, "The winner is, Ginta!"

* * *

Roxas sighed with relief. The pain in his stomach had finally subsided – in fact, his loss to Ginta seemed to fill him with the same feeling he got whenever he was eating ice cream.

Roxas glanced over at Ginta – who was being carried off by the crowd of cheering citizens – before he felt a tingling sensation start at his navel before spreading to the tips of his fingers and toes. He was being teleported back to the castle.

The courtyard filled with cheering people dissolved from his view, only to be suddenly replaced by the interior of the Organization's barracks. Roxas never could get used to teleporting like this – he always found the rapid change unsettling.

Once he regained his bearings he noticed that Saix was inches from his face.

"How did you lose?" he growled, his blue hair bristling.

Roxas had to resist the urge to jump back, but he managed to stand his ground.

"I just did," Roxas said, refusing to step back. "I got beat."

"You've taken down Heartless twice as powerful as him!"

"Lay off him, Saix," Axel said, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him back. "He did the best he could."

"Yes, if I recall, Ginta proved problematic for you as well, Saix," Zexion said, raising an eyebrow. Saix breathed hard from his nose before storming out of the room.

"Don't worry about him," Axel said, leaning up against the wall. "He's just ticked that we're leaving."

"We are?" Roxas asked.

"Immediately," Zexion said, carefully marking the page of his Lexicon that he was reading. "About time, too."

"Exactly!" Demyx yawned. He must have been asleep throughout the whole match. "This place is so boring."

"Yeah, because the World That Never Was is any better," Xigbar said sardonically, pushing him towards the door.

"Oh yeah…"

Roxas stepped to the side as one by one the other Nobodies filed out. He had to admit that he was pleased. No more worrying about Ginta and his friends; no more worrying about this world - just business as usual back at the World That Never Was. Of course, he was sure that Saix was going to blame him for the mission's failure, but that would just mean a few extra Heart-gathering missions – no big deal.

Roxas waited until he was alone – or, at least, he thought he was alone.

"So, quite an unexpected turn there," Axel said. He slowly stepped away from the wall, his arms fold. He checked out in the hall to make sure everyone was gone before continuing. "I never expected you to go down so easy. Especially when you had so much magic left."

Roxas paused, his hand gripping the door handle. So Axel knew… Who else did? Phantom? Zexion? Saix?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Roxas said, trying to sound honest, and failing spectacularly.

"Don't lie," Axel said, with a small laugh. "You're a terrible liar."

"Was it that obvious?" Roxas said, turning back.

"No," Axel said thoughtfully. "But we spar together so much I can tell pretty easily when you're holding back. What I can't figure out…" Axel said, his tone growing more serious. "…is why you did it."

"Oh," Roxas said, looking down. "It just didn't feel right. I felt..." Roxas paused, searching for the right word. "…guilty."

"You felt-?" Axel said, his eyes narrowed. He breathed hard out of his nose – just like Saix had.

"You're a Nobody, Roxas. You can't feel anything," Axel growled. Roxas was taken aback at Axel's seriousness. What was his problem?

"I know we can't feel emotions..." Roxas said, trying to think of the best way to express his thoughts. "But this feeling in my stomach-"

"No, Roxas," Axel said, cutting him off. "This has to stop." Axel rubbed his temples with his fingers, sighing. "Look, pretending to have emotions is one thing – heck we all do it. But if you keep going on like this – letting the act get in the way of your missions, then you're going to get into trouble. And the Organization is not someone you want to get in trouble with."

"I'm sure I can handle it," Roxas said, pushing past him and heading out into the hallway. "You coming?" he said, glancing over his shoulder at Axel, who was shaking his head and looking off to the side. "Are we going?" Roxas said.

"Yeah," Axel sighed. "I think we are." And the two Nobodies left the room for the final time.

* * *

It took Ginta a few moments to regain consciousness. The last thing he remembered was being hoisted into the air by the crowd. Now, Jack and Nanashi were half dragging, half carrying him through one of the castle's corridors. Babbo was bouncing nosily ahead of him.

"Where are we going?" Ginta managed to say.

"To the nurse," Jack said, huffing slightly from Ginta's weight.

"No," Ginta muttered. "No, we have to meet up with the others."

"We will, once you get patched up," Nanashi said. "You're not going to do us any good right now. Here we are."

They had arrived in the castle's infirmary. Nanashi and Jack deposited him on an empty bed just as a pretty blonde nurse bustled up to him, a large bag of supplies in hand. She immediately pulled out a bracelet ARM and held it up to him.

"This ARM will make you fall asleep," she said in a soft, comforting voice.

"No!" Ginta said, jumping up from the bed. The room began spinning, and he immediately sat down again. "I need to stay awake."

"You need to heal," the nurse insisted. "You're not well!"

"Trust him," Nanashi said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He has some business to attend to."

The nurse's eyes widened with realization.

"Snow," she whispered. Ginta nodded. The nurse went to work without any more objections. She began searching through her bag, periodically pulling out a jar of ointment or a strange looking ARM.

Ginta found his thoughts begin to wander.

He barely could believe that he'd won. He was certain that Roxas had him beat, if only by a little. Whatever the cause for his victory, Ginta was glad that it was over. He had more important things to worry about.

His thoughts were interrupted by an intense burning sensation. The nurse had begun slathering a thick gel over his open wounds. The gel stopped the bleeding and sealed the wounds, but the cuts still ached.

Finally, she pushed a vial of dark liquid into his hands.

"Drink this," she said. Ginta eyed the medicine questioningly. "It will help, trust me," she said winking. Ginta undid the stopper with his teeth, and then downed the drink. He felt an immediate change overtake him. His muscles seemed to tense slightly as they filled with energy, and the room finally stopped spinning. His limbs still ached though, and his eyes itched with exhaustion. But he was sure that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep even if he tried. He desired nothing more than to rest his eyes, but they wouldn't seem to stay closed. Ginta didn't like the medicine. Somehow, the energy he felt didn't seem natural.

"That should last for a few hours," the nurse said. She gathered up her supplies. "Good luck." She then left the room.

"How to you feel?" Babbo asked him. "Ready to take on the Chess Pieces?"

The situation wasn't ideal, but it was the best they could do.

"Let's do this," Ginta said, getting to his feet.

Nanashi, Jack and Babbo led him to a small, dusty, rarely used room of Regenlief castle where the rest of Team MAR were gathered. Outside, raucous yelling, music, and cheers of joy wafted in through the large stained glass window that was propped open, allowing a cool afternoon breeze to waft in.

The townspeople were eager celebrate Ginta's victory over Roxas and the official end of the War Games. Team MAR, along with the few surviving Cross Guard members, however, were not yet willing to let their guard down. They knew that the war was far from over; that at any moment the Chess Pieces might choose to attack. Ginta himself was more preoccupied with the situation at hand to worry too much about future battles. Now, he was going to rescue Snow.

As soon as Ginta stepped into the room and closed the door, it was like he'd stepped into another world; a world full of focus and determination; a world that was far more real than the one in the courtyard.

"Here, put these on," Alviss said, tossing a bundle of clothes at him. Ginta caught the bundle and separated out a baggy pair of tan pants and a thick, dark green coat that was completely covered in pockets. Ginta stepped into the pants – which were several sizes too big, before pulling on the coat.

"Ugh, no offense Ginta, but those don't suit you at all," Dorothy said, slipping a dark blue robe over her own clothes. "Then again, this doesn't suit me, either," she said, glaring down at the robe.

"They're not supposed to suit you," Alviss said, pulling the robe's hood up over Dorothy's pink hair, much to her annoyance. "You've both got to be unrecognizable."

Ginta and the others had had spent a significant portion of their downtime in the Training Gate planning the rescue mission. Looking back, Ginta was amazed at how much his original plan had evolved from the input of the others. Ginta had originally envisioned his rescue plan as a daring, explosive assault involving all of Team MAR bursting into the dungeons, grabbing Snow and making a daring escape. Alviss, Dorothy, and Nanashi quickly vetoed that idea. Instead, they opted for a much quieter, more convert, more realistic, and more boring idea, consisting of a two person team covertly infiltrating the dungeons and quietly rescuing Snow. Ginta was adamant that he should lead the mission. So that left the question of whom else would be joining him.

Pretty much everyone volunteered – even Ed. Eventually, it was agreed that Dorothy was the best choice. Not only did she have the greatest collection of ARM, but her Zephyrus Broom was the only way to fly up to the castle – not even Adardta would work, since none of them had ever actually been in the Chess Pieces' castle before.

Of course, the tricky part wasn't getting into the castle – it was getting to the dungeons without being spotted. To that end, Nanashi suggested a plan that he'd boasted had worked for him several times before.

"It's pretty simple," Nanashi explained. "One person dresses as a guard, the other as a prisoner. You can move about the castle freely, and no one will question you on why you're going to the dungeons in the first place."

So, Dorothy would disguise herself as a Pawn, while Ginta played the part of a captured thief from Luberia. Nanashi personally inspected the costume to assure its authenticity.

"Yup, that looks pretty good," Nanashi said, surveying Ginta's new outfit. "You look just like a thief from Luberia. Your coat has a lot of pockets…very unassuming colors…"

"He still looks like Ginta, though," Jack said. "I'm pretty sure any Chess Piece would recognize him."

"It's the hair," Babbo said. "Anyone would recognize that mess."

"I've got just the thing," Nanashi said, raising a finger. He dug in one of his pockets for a moment before retrieving a long, dark blue bandana. "I always keep a spare with me," he said while stuffing Ginta's spiky blonde hair underneath.

"He needs something else," Alviss said, inspecting his face. Alviss paused for a moment, before heading over to an old, blackened fireplace. He bent down and rubbed some ash on his fingers. He then proceeded to apply it around Ginta's eyes and across his face.

"Ugh, quit it," Ginta said, pushing him away.

"Perfect," Babbo said, grinning at Ginta's discomfort. "You look filthy."

"And completely unrecognizable," Nanashi said. "This might actually work."

Dorothy, meanwhile, was getting some last minute tips from Gaira.

"Make sure you use the clouds to hide you're approach, and try to land on the south side of the castle. And make sure to keep your head down – try not to attract any attention."

"Obviously," Dorothy said, rolling her eyes.

"You realize that might mean taking an order from a Chess Piece?" Gaira said, raising his eyebrows. Dorothy did not look enthused at the idea. "Remember, you're a Pawn, which means you need to show the higher ranks a certain level of respect and fear. Focus on the mission, not your ego. That goes for you too, Ginta."

"Nothing to worry about," Ginta said, stepping forward (and stumbling slightly, due to his baggy pants). "If we do get in a fight, Babbo and I can take care of any Chess Piece that challenges us."

"No, you won't," Alviss said, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" Babbo said, bouncing over next to Ginta.

"No, Babbo, you're not going on this mission."

"Why not?" Ginta said. He and Babbo had been practically inseparable. Why would he leave him behind?

"Babbo's one of the most recognizable ARM in the world," Alviss explained. "Your disguise will be useless – everyone will know that it's you."

"But – I can't go in unarmed," Ginta said. "What if there's a fight?"

"If you do things right, there won't be."

"But-"

"Just look at it as an incentive to keep your head down," Nanashi said, slapping him on the back. Ginta frowned, glancing over at Babbo.

"I guess you have to sit this one out, buddy," he said. Babbo nodded grimly.

"Alright, we better get going," Dorothy said, donning the simple, oval shaped mask that all Pawns wore. "Broom of Zephyrus!" she shouted, summoning her broom. She threw the window open all the way. She stood for a moment at the window, peering out of it, up at the floating castle high above.

"Aim for that cloudburst," Gaira instructed, pointing at a large mass of dark grey clouds that were concealing a portion of the castle.

"Got it," Dorothy said, nodding. She strode back over to Ginta and released the broom, which hovered a few feet off the ground, waiting for them to mount.

"Good luck," Babbo said. "And don't get into trouble."

"We're going to the Chess Piece's castle," Dorothy said, grinning slightly. "What trouble could we _possibly_ find there?"

* * *

Roxas and Axel walked briskly along the castle's many hallways and stairways following the intricate path to the throne room that they had by now committed to memory.

The hallways, which were usually conspicuously absent, were now bustling with people. Chess Pieces of every rank – Pawns, Rooks, Bishops – Roxas even saw a few Knights – shuffled by him, carrying bags and containers overflowing with ARM and donning highly polished magical armor. Now that the War Games were finally over, the Chess Pieces were preparing for war.

"Hmm," Axel mused as an ordered regiment of Pawns filed in front of them.

"What?" Roxas asked.

"I was just under the impression that the Chess Pieces had already defeated most of the Cross Guard," Axel said, rubbing his chin.

"So?"

"Well, this seems like a lot of effort to go through to prepare to fight an already defeated enemy, don't you think?"

Roxas nodded in agreement. As far as he could tell, the Cross Guard's only active members consisted of Team MAR. Surely the Chess Pieces didn't need their entire army to fight them, right?  
"But, we're leaving, so it doesn't really concern us," Axel said, proceeding down a set of spiral stairs.

As they proceed through the castle the groups of Chess Pieces began to thin as they reached their destinations. Eventually the two Nobodies were left to continue on in silence – that is, until they stepped into the high-ceilinged room that was adjacent to the throne room. It looked like almost every Pawn in the Chess Piece army was gathered there, waiting for their orders.

Axel paused, taking one last look around the room. "I can't say I'm going to miss this place. It'll kind of be nice to get back to the old routine."

"Agreed," Roxas said, though he wasn't really sure if he did. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was abandoning this world. A part of him longed to stay behind to help. The question that was bothering him, though, was who did he want to help?

Roxas and Axel were the last Organization members to arrive in Phantom's throne room. All of the other members, plus Phantom and Peta, were already waiting.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Phantom asked. He was sitting comfortably in his throne, his eyes resting briefly on Roxas and Axel as they entered the room, before returning to Saix.

"Absolutely," Saix said. "This war no longer interests us. Once you remove these blasted ARM-" he said, lifting his left arm, where the anti-teleportation ARM was still attached. "-we will be on our way."

"Of course," Phantom said, gesturing to Peta, who was holding the same wooden box he had when the Nobodies had first arrived. Peta strode towards them, opening the box. "Though I must say that I agree with you," Phantom said, grinning. There suddenly was a small scuffle, as Peta grabbed Zexion's right arm and forced one of the ARM onto his wrist.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zexion said, pushing Peta away.

"Phantom," Saix growled dangerously, his yellow eyes narrowing. "What are you doing?"

"You said that your interest in this war has waned," Phantom said calmly. "Well, my interest in you Nobodies has waned. I have to admit that you performed far below my expectations during the games. Only managing to kill a single man? Tsk, tsk," he said, wagging his finger. "But you have proven yourselves useful."

"What are you talking about?" Saix said, squaring himself against Phantom. Saix's hair began to blow about, growing more and more ruffled – just as it always did before he went into his berserk state.

"You didn't really think I wanted your help in the War Games?" Phantom said. "We easily could have handled that ourselves. No, your only true purpose here was to be studied."

"Studied?" Zexion said while pulling fruitlessly at the ARM wrapped around his wrist. "That's ridiculous."

"It's true," Phantom said. "You all were nothing more than an experiment, and though I did learn an _exceptional_ amount, I feel as though there is nothing more I can learn from you – that is unless you'd like to show me how to use those Corridors of Darkness of yours."

Every Nobody in the room did a double-take. Roxas swallowed.

"Who knows, you might live longer that way," Phantom said, smiling.

"Never," Saix growled. He raised his right arm, preparing to summon his claymore.

"Very well. Then I suppose this is where we part ways," Phantom said, and he snapped his fingers.

Roxas gave a shout of pain, doubling over and clutching at his knees. The bracelet on his wrist was glowing red and clamping down so hard that it felt as though it would slice clean through. The ARM burned red hot, filling his body with the unbearable sensation of needles coursing through his veins, tearing him apart from the inside. After a few moments Roxas fell to his knees, the ARM literally sucking the life from his body.

Roxas' vision was blurring, though he could tell that all of the other Nobodies were being effected the same. Demyx, Luxord and Zexion were writhing in pain on the ground. Xigbar, Xaldin, and Axel were on their knees, trying in vain to overcome the agony that the ARM were inflicting. Saix alone was able to stay on his feet, though he was apparently paralyzed from the pain.

Roxas quickly tried to summon a Keyblade, but he couldn't focus long enough. His entire world had dissolved into torture. He couldn't hold a coherent thought in his head. He needed help – fast, or else he was going to die. They all were going to die.

* * *

"Ready?" Dorothy said, getting on. Ginta nodded. A bit of his bravado had evaporated now that he realized that he was going to be weaponless in the Chess Piece's stronghold. He quickly shook the thought from his mind. This was for Snow.

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Ginta got onto the broom behind Dorothy, wrapping his arms gingerly around her waist. He knew that he needed to remain focused on Snow's rescue, but he couldn't help feeling a little bit uncomfortable.

His discomfort immediately evaporated once Dorothy pushed off from the ground, sending the two of them shooting out the window. Dorothy pulled up into a steep climb, and Ginta tightened his grip. The cool air was whistling in his ears and stinging his eyes, but he had to admit that the trip was exhilarating.

Once Ginta's eyes got use to the wind he peered around Dorothy, up at the castle above. They were aiming right for the large group of clouds, and Ginta felt a tinge of excitement – he always imagined what touching a cloud felt like.

A few seconds later they burst into the clouds, and Ginta inhaled sharply. It didn't feel anything like he imagined. What looked soft and fluffy on the outside was cold and wet on the inside.

Dorothy and Ginta touched down on a narrow stone rampart that was completely concealed by the clouds.

"Where to?" Ginta asked, his teeth shattering slightly from the cold and his wet clothes.

"I don't know," Dorothy said, looking around the abandoned rampart. "Let's try this way," she said, heading off into the clouds. They quickly came across a small wooden door, which led to a spiral wooden staircase.

"Do you think the dungeons are down here?" Ginta said as they descended the stairs.

"Probably not," Dorothy said, her voice muffled slightly from the mask. "They're probably somewhere in the main building."

After descending a few more flights, they finally found another wooden door, which led to a long, stone hallway. Two lines of Pawns were marching down the corridor, spears in hand. Luckily, their backs were turned and they soon disappeared down a flight of steps.

"That was close," Ginta said as the backs of the last two Pawns disappeared.

"Yeah it was," Dorothy said. "Let's try to stay away from them. Here, let's check to see where these doors lead."

They then began to move systematically down the hall, testing doors at random. The first few opened up to empty storage rooms and empty barracks. When it was clear that none of them would lead to the dungeon, it was clear that they had no choice but to follow the Pawns down the stairs.

The next floor looked identical to the one above it, except that it was completely empty. Ginta breathed a sigh of relief, then began checking more doors.

. Luckily, they encountered no one else, since Ginta was beginning to worry that his disguise was to thin, and that any Chess Piece would see right through it. Hopefully he'd be able to navigate the castle without running into any more Chess Pieces.

Ginta and Dorothy moved stealthily down the hall, opening doors as quietly as they could.

"I wonder where those Pawns were off to," Dorothy mused as she pulled open another door. A door which led – not to another empty storage room – but to a large, wide hallway, filled to the brim with row upon row of Pawns.

Dorothy quickly shut the door before turning to Ginta.

"Okay, let's stick the shadows, and-"

"Wait, you don't actually intend to go in there!" Ginta whispered. "No way!"

"We have to," Dorothy insisted. "We've just been skirting around the outside of the castle, we're never going to find the dungeons that way. Anyway, this hallway actually looks like it leads somewhere."

"But we'll never make it through!" Ginta said. "We'll be seen!"

"It's a good thing we're disguised, then," Dorothy said, gripping Ginta around the arm. "Just keep quiet and try to play your part well."

Ginta opened his mouth to protest, but Dorothy was already steering him into the hall.

They slowly navigated the edges of the room, making sure to stay as far out of the way as possible. Luckily, they didn't seem to be drawing that much attention, since all of the Pawns kept their gaze straight forward.

Ginta glanced up, and saw a door on the other side of the hall. He elbowed Dorothy and nodded towards it. They headed straight for it. Dorothy had her hand on the handle when they heard a shout.

"Hey, you there!"

Both Ginta and Dorothy froze, before turning slowly around to face a rather severe looking man with jet black hair and a large scar running down the side of his face. Ginta glanced at the man's earring – he was a Rook.

"What are you doing?" he said, looking suspiciously between them. "Why aren't you in formation? And who is he?" he said, jabbing Ginta's chest. Ginta had to repress the urge to push back.

"I found this thief trying to steal our ARM," Dorothy said, pushing Ginta onto his knees. "I'm taking him to the dungeon."

Ginta lowered his head slightly as the Rook inspected him. After a few agonizing moments in which Ginta was sure he was going to be recognized, the Rook spoke.

"Why isn't he restrained?" the Rook said, grabbing Ginta's hands.

"Umm…" Dorothy said. "I didn't have the proper ARM."

"Didn't you think that'd be dangerous?" The Rook scolded, pulling off two silver bands from his wrist and jamming them onto Ginta's. "Activate!" he shouted, and the two bands violently snapped together behind Ginta's back. He struggled slightly to pull them apart, but they were stuck.

"Moron!" the Rook said to Dorothy. "Escorting an unrestrained prisoner around the castle- and where is your spear?"

Ginta winced again. The Rook was going to find them out for sure.

"It's back... I mean it's…" Dorothy stammered. "It's in the armory," she said, making up her mind. "That's where I found him. He had stolen some of our ARM."

"Give them to me," the Rook demanded, holding out his hand.

"Excuse me?" Dorothy said, slightly defensively. Ginta could tell that she didn't like having to take abuse from a Chess Piece. The Rook caught on to her tone.

"The ARM he stole. Give them to me, Pawn," he snarled. Dorothy hesitated, then fished around in her pockets for a second before depositing a handful of her ARM into his open palm. The Rook turned each one over in his fingers, frowning.

"These are some powerful ARM," he said, his eyes narrowed. "How did you manage to defeat someone so much stronger then yourself, Pawn?"

"Umm…perhaps I'm due for a promotion?" Dorothy said hopefully. The Rook was not impressed. "Why did you try to take him to the dungeon yourself? You Pawns don't even have the proper ARM to unlock the doors. Heck, I don't even have the right ARM! You're supposed to take him to at least a Bishop, idiot!"

"I forgot, sir," Dorothy said, trying to sound sincere. The Rook frowned.

"I'll take him from here," The Rook said, pulling Ginta violently to his feet. "You – get your gear and get into formation. If it wasn't for the Queen's orders, I'd throw your smart mouth into the dungeons with him."

"But sir," Dorothy began.

"Move!" the Rook yelled. Dorothy paused for a moment before filing into line with the other Pawns. The Rook pushed Ginta down the hall and through a door out onto a large, stone stairwell.

"Keep moving," the Rook spat, prodding Ginta forward. "You're lucky that Phantom's busy, or I'm sure your thieving behind would be obliterated by now." Ginta stumbled slightly as the Rook yanked him to a stop.

"Ugh!" the Rook shouted, slapping his head. "I don't have the key ARM. Now I have to go find a Bishop. He'll probably take all the glory himself, too," he said, clenching his fists. "There's no way I'm going to let that happen," he said, grabbing Ginta's shoulder and spinning him around. "I'm going to make sure that I get something out of this." One of the bracelets on his arm was shining with light. "If I don't leave a trace, maybe I can keep these ARM for myself. Of course, I'll have to take out that Pawn, too. Well, it's not like anyone's going to notice, anyway."

Ginta swallowed. He really wished he had Babbo with him. Perhaps he could make a run for it, but no, the Rook already had a hooked knife pressed against his throat. Ginta closed his eyes just a pained shout echoed through the stairwell.

* * *

Roxas teeth were clenched in pain as thousands of blades sliced at him from the inside out. He needed to make the pain stop. If only there was someone who could come to his aid. But he couldn't think. Every corner of his mind was filled with unimaginable pain. But, a single thought was able to slip through. Maybe, if he asked, they would come.

Using every ounce of his willpower, Roxas focused his mind long enough to form a thought. He closed his eyes, focusing back to the World That Never Was.

_Help us! Please! Eight of you – hurry! I command you! _

The rest of his thoughts were torn apart as pain flooded his entire being, preventing any more thoughts from gaining hold.

Then, Roxas felt them.

Eight portals opened up in the room, and out stepped eight of Roxas' silver clad Samurai. They all paused, waiting for him to give an order.

"The bracelets!" Roxas managed to gasp through gritted teeth. The Samurai slowly unsheathed their swords, moving with focused, deliberate movements. They simultaneously bent down, focusing all of their power into their blades, before dashing forward, their sharp katanas slicing each of the bracelets.

Roxas was flooded with relief as the shattered remains of the bracelet fell from his wrist. The pain that had consumed him was being replaced by white hot rage. Roxas pushed himself to his feet, the Oathkeeper and the Oblivion flashing into his hands. Phantom was going to pay – and Roxas wasn't the only one thinking this.

Saix was hunched down low, his claymore shuddering as it transformed into its unsheathed from, his fury threatening to burst forth at any moment. Axel was shaking his head and gripping one of his chakram, the other swinging from his fingers. Zexion had his lexicon propped open in his hand as he flipped through it, looking for the spell that was most suitable to be used against Phantom. Xaldin was levitating a foot off the ground, his six lances flowing around him. Xigbar was hanging upside-down above the group, his Arrowguns flashing as they loaded. Luxord was rifling his deck, a scowl on his face and a dangerous glint in his eye. Even Demyx was tuning his sitar, preparing to fight.

"That was a mistake," Saix growled, his claymore spinning as he transitioned into his trademark reverse grip.

"Fools," Phantom said, standing up from his throne, a manic gleam in his eye. "If you won't show me how to travel between worlds, I'll just have to do it myself. I will be tethered to this existence no longer!" he shouted. Suddenly, a blue aura burst from his body, and the jagged red tattoo of his Zombie Tattoo began to recede.

"No!" Peta said, looking on in horror as his did the same.

Phantom sneered as he held up his arm, watching with relish as the last vestiges of the tattoo disappeared.

"Phantom, why?" Peta cried.

"So that there is nothing holding me back," Phantom growled, his normally soft voice layered with a thick, beast-like gravel. His body shuddered, plumes of darkness erupting from his pores.

"He's giving into the darkness," Zexion said in awe, as more and more of the darkness poured out, completely consuming him in blackness. "This is incredible."

Roxas felt uneasy. He'd never seen someone turn into a Heartless before. The process was…disturbing.

The room was silent for a few seconds, before a flash of light emanated from with the darkness. The darkness expanded, forming the solid shape of some massive Heartless. Roxas couldn't get a good look at it, though, since the Heartless immediately dove into a dark portal.

"Where's it going?" Roxas said, still awestruck.

"Who cares," Demyx said, breathing a sigh of relief. "At least it's not here."

"It's going to search for more hearts to corrupt," Xaldin said, grinning maliciously.

"No!" Peta shouted, anguished at the apparent loss of his leader. "Phantom!" he said, looking helplessly at the spot where he had only moments before stood. Now there was nothing. Peta quickly glanced at the eight still armed Nobodies, before teleporting away.

"Let's go," Saix said. His hair was back to normal, and the crazy glint in his eyes was gone. In fact, he was smiling. "Everyone, back to the castle. We have work to do."

* * *

Ginta jumped back as the Rook gave a muffled grunt of pain. A Pawn had snuck up behind them and wrapped its hand around the Rook's face. A glowing ring on its hand pulsed slightly as the Rook's eyes fluttered shut.

"Worried I wasn't going to save you?" Dorothy said, taking off her mask.

"I had the situation under control," Ginta protested, as Dorothy slipped the ring from the Rook's finger and used it to unlock his shackles.

"Of course you did," Dorothy said. She bent down and began digging through the Rook's pockets. "I just wanted to get my ARM back," she said, holding up her ARM and winking.

"Oh. So you didn't hear that he was about to kill me?" Ginta said, gesturing down at the Rook.

"I thought you had the situation under control?" she said, elbowing him playfully.

"I did – I just –"

"Come on, let's get going," Dorothy said, shaking her head. "We have to hurry. It's fortunate that this guy found us. He led us straight to the dungeons. Let's not push our luck by dilly-dallying."

Ginta nodded, and the two descended the long, spiral staircase that hopefully led to the dungeons. Light streamed in from a few scattered windows along the outside of the stairwell, which became less and less frequent as they descended. As they descended more the windows were replaced by a few scattered torches, and Ginta noticed the temperature drop considerably.

"Hey, Dorothy," Ginta said, after descending what must have been fifty floors. "Dungeons have locks, right?"

"Yes."

"We don't have a key."

"I'm your key, Ginta," she said, winking. "We're here." The two had finally arrived at a single metal door. Ginta pulled on the handle, but the door didn't budge.

"It's locked, obviously," Dorothy said, folding her arms.

"Do your thing, key," Ginta said, stepping aside. Dorothy placed her hand against the door and closed her eyes. Ginta waited a few moments before asking.

"Dorothy, what are you doing?"

"I'm reading the magic that has been used on this door," she said matter-of-factly.

"You can do that!?" Ginta said, a bit louder that he had intended.

"Of course I can, I'm a witch," Dorothy said. "But it isn't easy, and it's much harder to do when someone's yelling in your ear." Ginta – who had been about to ask another question – quickly closed his mouth.

After another minute, Dorothy pulled out the ARM that the Rook had used to handcuff Ginta. Dorothy held it up to the door and activated it, and the door swung open, revealing pitch blackness behind it.

"I thought the Rook said he didn't have the proper ARM to open the door," Ginta said, peering into the darkness that lay beyond.

"Apparently he did," Dorothy said, shrugging. Ginta took a step forward, but Dorothy held out her arm.

"Wait a second. This is a little too easy," she said, sticking her hand in her pocket and fishing around. Eventually she extracted a small, silver orb ARM that had numerous points radiating around it. "You might want to look away. Sol," she said, using her free hand to cover her eyes. The ARM instantly flashed with an intense bright light, and Ginta - who had been too curious about the ARM to listen – was temporarily blinded. Once his eyesight returned to him, he saw that the ARM was floating out in the middle of the room, its bright light illuminating the circular room ahead.

"I told you to look away," Dorothy said, shaking her head.

"That's a long way down," Ginta said, looking down. The floor had to be at least a hundred feet below them, and the slick circular walls were far too slippery to climb down.

"Good thing we have this," Dorothy said, summoning her Zephyrus Broom. The two hopped on and were whisked down to the bottom of the pit. The room was completely empty, save for a single metal door that was identical to the one above it.

Dorothy immediately strode towards it. She placed her hand on it, her frown growing more and more pronounced.

"What's the matter?" Ginta said hurriedly. He was feeling a bit vulnerable without Babbo at his side.

"I can see now what that Rook meant about not having the key," she said.

"It isn't the same lock?"

"Not even close," Dorothy said, stepping away from the door, her hands on her hips. "Even Nanashi would have trouble with this door. This could take a while. Dimension ARM, Zipper," she said, and one of the rings on her hand shown with light, opening up a rift in space that Dorothy used to store her immense collection of ARM.

"I can never find anything in here," she said, feeling around for a few seconds before finally extracting an ARM. "Nope, not this one," she said, tossing it back into the rift.

Dorothy spent the next few minutes pulling out ARM, shaking her head, and tossing them back into the rift. On the rare chance that she found one that she liked, she'd activate it against the door, after which the door remained firmly locked. After a few ARM failed, she'd hold her hand against the door, concentrating intensely, before trying again.

Ginta, meanwhile, occupied himself with using the blue bandana to rub off the black makeup from under his eyes. After a few minutes, the bandana was filthy, his face was clean, and Dorothy gave a small shout of triumph.

"Got it!" she said, pulling the door open.

"Great!" Ginta said, rushing forward. "How'd you open it?"

"Well, it was weird," Dorothy said, rubbing her chin. "The magical lock on this door was immensely complex. I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for... well, I'm not quite sure."

"What do you mean? How'd you get it open then?"

"Well, some different type of magic – light based, I think – had already forced its way through the spells. Once I found it, all I had to do was follow its residual path."

"I understand," Ginta said, lying through his teeth.

"It's odd. I wouldn't have expected the Chess Pieces to miss such a glaring hole in their security. Oh well," she said, shrugging. "It worked alright for us. Let's keep moving."

"Right!" Ginta said, taking the lead into the dark, dank hallway beyond. The path was lit by blue torches, flickering silently along the dim path. Ginta couldn't imagine Snow being locked down here for so long. He picked up the pace.

"Which cell do you think she's in?" Ginta said, as they passed by numerous rusted metal doors covered in cobwebs. They all looked like they hadn't been touched in years.

"None of these," Dorothy said. "Let's try down at the end."

The two rushed down to the end of the hallway, to the last two cells. The door on the left looked just like the others – old and unused. But the door on the right wasn't covered in as many cobwebs as the others, and had signs of recent use. A faint yellow light was pouring out through its small, barred window. Ginta peered inside, and his heart skipped a beat. Curled up in the corner of the room, bathed in a sickly yellow light, was Snow, her eyes closed. Ginta wasn't sure if she was asleep…or worse.

"Get the lock, quick," Ginta said, not taking his eyes off of Snow.

"Right," Dorothy said, placing her hand against the door. "Uh-oh," she said, putting her hand over her mouth.

"What?" Ginta snapped. They were so close.

"This door has the same lock as the one before it, except that it doesn't seem to have been magically forced open. Not good. Give me a second."

"No," Ginta said, sick of waiting. He stepped away from the door, and concentrated all of his magic into his fist. He then punched at the stone wall on the side of the door. The wall shuddered before crumbling inward.

"Amazing," Dorothy said, shaking her head. "I guess the Chess Pieces never thought to enchant the walls _beside_ the door. Nice punch, by the way."

Ginta wasn't listening. Stepping over the rubble, he hurried over to Snow, who hadn't moved an inch, despite all of the commotion. Ginta feared the worst. But as soon as Ginta stepped into the yellow light that was surrounding Snow, the fear began to disappear. In fact, all of his thoughts seemed to have melted together, filling his mind with a dull slush. All he wanted to do now was sleep.

"Hold on," Dorothy said, pulling him out of the light. Ginta snapped out of his stupor, though he was still immensely drowsy, despite the medicine the nurse had given him. "I've seen this magic before. It's a special type of darkness ARM. It drains your magic."

"Magic?" Ginta said, swaying slightly.

"Snap out of it!" Dorothy said, shaking him by the shoulders.

"Wait, what?" Ginta said, shaking his head. "Snow!" he shouted, attempting to dive back into the light.

"No, Ginta," Dorothy said, restraining him. "This light will drain your magic and sap your energy. You can't go in."

"But I have to," Ginta said, shrugging her off. "We've come this far, we can't go back now."

"Hold on, Ginta. Maybe I have a Holy ARM that can counter it," Dorothy said, opening the Zipper-rift again. "Give me a moment."

"No," Ginta said, and before Dorothy could stop him he dove deep into the light, far out of her reach. Immediately his thoughts became muddled. What was he doing again? Trying to…get somewhere? No, no, that wasn't it. Sleep. It was definitely sleep. He was going to take a little nap. Maybe after that he'd be able to think better.

Ginta slowly sunk to his knees, closing his eyes. Yes, this felt right. Ginta fell onto his stomach, breathing slowly. He stretched out his limbs. He felt his hand brush against something. What was it? He opened an eye just a crack, waiting a few seconds for his vision to focus. Hey look – it was Snow… Wasn't she captured? No, she's right here, obviously. Sleeping on the ground. That's odd…

Raising his head, Ginta took a slow, shaky look around. Stone walls, everywhere. And an odd yellow light. Yellow light…

Ginta suddenly remembered that the light was – bad. Really bad. Who told him that? Who knows, but it was definitely bad. Which means he should get Snow out of the bad yellow light.

Ginta pushed himself to his knees. Slowly he crawled over to Snow. Out of the yellow light. Out of the light. He grabbed Snow's hand/ Ginta got to his feet, then, wobbling slightly, he scooped Snow up into his arms, taking a few tentative steps forward. Suddenly his mind was wiped blank again, and he was filled with an ever growing desire to sleep. Ginta struggled to stay standing, but he was too weak. He fell to his knees.

No! No! He had to get out of the light. The light was bad. Like a nightmare. Ginta began to blindly crawl on his knees, Snow still in his arms. Once again his thoughts muddled together. This time, Ginta couldn't resist. He fell forward, his eyes pulled shut by their intense desire for sleep. The last thing Ginta remembered was pressure on his wrist.

Ginta felt a soft tapping against his cheek, accompanied by soft spoken words. He couldn't make them out – at least not at first. But the words grew louder, and the taps on his cheek grew firmer, until finally –

"Wake up!" the voice shouted, accompanied by a sharp slap across the face. Ginta sat bolt upright.

"Ow!" he protested, his hand flying to his stinging cheek. "What was that for?"

"Finally!" Dorothy said exasperatedly. "It's been five minutes! We have to go!"

"Go?" Ginta said, his brain stalling.

"Our rescue mission?" Dorothy said, tapping his head. "To save Snow? In the Chess Piece's castle!"

Ginta's thoughts finally organized themselves.

"Where's Snow?" he said urgently, looking around the room.

"Here," Dorothy said. Snow was lying beside Ginta. She was still asleep, but she was breathing. "She's still out of it, but that's expected after such a long exposure to that light. Just use Alice when we get home, okay? But now, we need to go."

Ginta, once again, wasn't listening. He was looking down at Snow, who looked cold and pale as she lay cradled in his arms. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, her terrified look quickly replace by confusion, then relief.

"Snow, are you-" Ginta started, but then she threw her arms around his neck. Ginta pulled her close, and her lips pressed up against his. Ginta felt his thoughts muddle together again, but he found that he didn't mind it as much this time.

"Can we go now?" Dorothy asked, tapping her foot. "We're still in the enemy's stronghold, after all.

Um…yeah," Ginta said, blushing slightly. He shook his head vigorously, stabilizing himself, before picking up Snow, who was still too weak to stand on her own. "Let's go."

They turned and dashed out of the cell and out into the hallway. Ginta was surprised that they had met so little opposition so far. Why didn't the Chess Pieces have more guards? Luckily they had just reached the circular pit, which meant all they had to do was use Adardta to escape.

Dorothy slowed down and stopped in the middle of the room.

"Hmm," she said, her focus on the slick circular walls. She placed her hands on them, her eyes closed.

"What is it?" Ginta said urgently. He felt pressure on his shoulder as Snow's head leaned against it. She had fallen unconscious again. He quickly caught her before she fell, then turned back to Dorothy. "What are you waiting for? Just use Adardta and get us out of here."

"It won't work," she said absentmindedly. "This room has an anti-teleportation field surrounding it. It's pretty standard stuff – typical for prisons. But that's not what's worrying me."

"Are you going to explain?" Ginta said, a little annoyed.

"Fine, magic sensing for beginners," she sighed, pulling out another ARM from her pocket – it looked like a small silver locket. "Reveal!" she said, swiping the wall. A complicated web of thick green and thin red lines was left in the ARM's wake. "See, the green magic prevents us from teleporting away, but this is one of the most complex I've ever seen. The magic will linger on all of our ARM, so I won't be able to use Adarta for a few more hours at least."

"That's bad," Ginta said, swallowing.

"That's not even the worst of it," Dorothy said, shaking her head. "You see the red magic woven into the green? That acts as a silent alarm," she said, looking up at the door far above them. "And we tripped it."

"An alarm! But then where are all the guards?" Ginta said, suddenly expecting a team of high ranking Chess Pieces to come repelling down. Luckily, the void above was Chess Piece-free – for now.

"My thoughts exactly," Dorothy said bitterly. They waited in silence, anticipating Chess Pieces that never came.

"So what are we going to do?" Ginta said. "Can we use your broom to fly back up?"

"We could," Dorothy said, summoning her broom. "But it's going to be awkward with the three of us. Let's try and think of something else, and only use it as a last resort."

Almost as if on queue, a beastly roar echoed through the castle. It sounded a long way off, but it still sent the hairs on the back of Ginta's neck standing up.

"I think it's our last resort," Ginta said, his eyes darting around the room, expecting some monster to leap out from the shadows at any moment. Of course, Ginta knew that monsters didn't actually come from the shadows, which is why he gave a startled shout when a pair of yellow, lamp-like eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness.

"Dorothy?" Ginta said, positioning himself between Snow and the glowing eyes. He didn't like not having Babbo to help him fight. Another pair of eyes blinked at him from the shadows - followed by another, and another, until hundreds of yellow eyes were staring at them. "Let's go."

"Right," Dorothy said, mounting her broom. "Get on, quick."

Ginta quickly positioned Snow on before getting on behind her. The squirming eyes in the shadows began to slowly approach, almost as a single black mass.

"Hold on tight," Dorothy said. Ginta grabbed tightly onto her waist, making sure to keep a grip on Snow. Dorothy pushed off, and the hundreds of pairs of eyes became yellow blurs as they were whisked upward towards the doorway.

Ginta glanced over his shoulder. Amazingly, the black mass of squirming, lamp-like eyes was scaling the vertical wall after them.

"Faster, Dorothy!" Ginta shouted against the rush of wind. Dorothy expertly flew the broom through the tiny doorway and up the spiraling staircase with inches to spare. What had taken at least ten minutes to descend took only ten seconds to fly up, and soon enough they were almost at the top. It seemed as though they'd successfully outrun whatever was chasing them. They were almost at the top of the stairs when – materializing seemingly from the shadows – two black figures, each with a pair of yellow eyes – jumped in front of them, blocking their escape. Ginta only got a glimpse of vaguely humanoid black bodies, long, spindly arms and legs tipped with long, sharp claws, and two pairs of long, crooked antennae, before Dorothy banked right, sending them flying straight through one of the stained glass windows.

Ginta shut his eyes as he was pelted with bits of glass; he felt several nicks and cuts wash over his arms as he tried his best to shield Snow. When he opened his eyes again, the three of them were safely outside of the castle, rapidly descending down to the ground below.

"Good thinking!" Ginta shouted at Dorothy, though he wasn't certain that she could hear him. A violent wind was howling in his ears and chilled him to the bone.

Ginta looked down, but his view of the ground was obscured by what seemed to be thick, impossibly dense clouds. But that was impossible – the sky was almost completely clear when they started the mission. Where did all of these clouds come from? There was something… odd about them, too. They were billowing out in odd directions, and against the wind. And there was something else… Ginta had a strange aversion to them – and it wasn't just that he was aware of how cold and wet clouds were. No, it was almost as though the sight of the clouds filled him with – fear. But fear of what? He wasn't sure, but he was certain that he was anxious that the others had been consumed by the clouds. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that once you went into them, you wouldn't come out…

Ginta scanned the ground below for any sign of the ground. After a few moments of panic he finally picked out the stone grey castle hidden within them. The castle was the only other landmark he could see – all of the surrounding land was completely obscured. Even some of the castle's turrets had been consumed by the blackness, leaving only the main courtyard and small sections of the building untouched.

Dorothy made a beeline for the courtyard. As they got closer, Ginta saw several figures gathered around its center. He quickly recognized them as Babbo, Alviss, Jack, Nanashi, Gaira, and Ed. As they got closer, Ginta could barely make out the tiny figure of Belle hovering over Ed's shoulder. All of the others had their weapons out, though Ginta couldn't tell what they were fighting.

Dorothy touched down in the center of the courtyard. Ginta immediately grabbed Snow before hopping off. Ed and Babbo were the first to meet him.

"Princess!" Ed shouted, tears in his eyes. "Tell me she's okay!"

"She's fine, Ed," Ginta said, laying her down. He turned to Babbo. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Babbo said, bouncing over so that Ginta could grab him. A wave of relief rushed over Ginta. It felt good to have Babbo back. He didn't have much magic left after his match with Roxas, but at least he had his weapon and friend by his side. "Things got weird all of a sudden."

"Where did all of these clouds come from?" Ginta asked, scanning the mass of black that was spilling over the outer walls and flooding into the courtyard.

"From the Chess Piece's castle," Jack said, his battle shovel in hand. "We were worried that something happened to you."

Ginta opened his mouth to respond, but something caught his eye. Upon closer inspection, Ginta noticed that the clouds weren't a solid mass. Hundreds of glowing, yellow eyes peered out at them, and now that he was closer, Ginta could tell that the clouds were actually made up off hundreds of tiny, humanoid shadow creatures. It was hard to read their features, since they were constantly moving and jockeying for position, but it was hard to overlook the glint of their razor sharp claws.

"What's the plan?" Ginta said, moving over to Alviss.

"The plan?" Alviss said, brandishing his staff at the encroaching horde. "Survive."

"Great," Ginta said, rolling his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder. The shadow creatures surrounded them.

Ginta turned back around just in time to see the glint of rapidly slashing claws as one of the creatures lunged at him. Ginta blocked with Babbo's handle, then quickly slashed in retaliation. The shadow creature ducked under the blow. In fact, it looked like it had flattened itself down into the ground, where its silhouette squirmed for a few seconds, before it jumped back up, completely unharmed.

"What are these?" Jack shouted. "Some kind of ARM?"

"None that I've ever seen," Dorothy called over her shoulder. She swung her broom, summoning a massive gust of wind. A few of the creatures were blown off their feet, but the majority of them flattened themselves into the ground again, emerging completely unharmed.

The ground trembled as Alviss used his Totem Pole's pillar attack, knocking a large number of them high into the air. But the creatures quickly swarmed around the pillars, their eyes fixed upon their prey.

"This isn't good," Alviss said, and Ginta noticed a faint hint of tension in his voice. "We need to think of something, quick."

"Now would be a good time to think outside the box," Ginta said, backing away from the encroaching horde.

"Good thinking!" Nanashi shouted. He leapt backwards, dodging a swipe from one of the creatures, before raising his arm. One of the rings on his fingers was glowing.

"Adardta!" he shouted. Ginta felt a tingling sensation envelope his body as the scene in front of him was wiped away. The last thing he saw was one of the creature's claws inches from his throat. Then, everything was blackness.

* * *

_So, what did you think? Things should be getting interesting now. The real war has begun. _


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello everyone. So, by my usual standards, this chapter is up pretty quick, huh? Well anyways, sorry if I haven't been very prompt in getting back to you lately, but I've been temporarily relocated for the summer to an area with pretty poor internet. In fact, I have practically no internet - I'm only barely able to upload this chapter now as it is. Since I had to jump on this opportunity, I didn't have the chance to triple proof read like I normally do, so hopefully there aren't too many errors. If there are, then I'll upload an edited version sometime in the future. That's all for now. Enjoy!_

* * *

Phantom's body felt…unpleasant. His limbs and joints twisted in unnatural ways that should be excruciating, but the pain was barely held at bay by some unseen anesthetic. Limbs jerked sporadically and his fingers curled tight against his palms. But his external agony was nothing compared to the chaos in his soul.

A dark void was violently probing his mind. Sharp tendrils of darkness ripped every thought from his consciousness. The first thing to go was his memories. Visions of his childhood – his parents, his home, playing with friends, his old lover; all were voraciously devoured by the darkness. And the more memories that it consumed, the more insatiable it became. The tendrils began to probe deeper, delving into all corners of his mind, stripping away his being, until even his name – something so fundamental to his existence– was stripped away… and he wanted it back.

He began to push back. It took intense concentration, but eventually the tendrils began to recede, leaving empty nothingness in their wake. He would not allow it. He opened himself out, extending his will out beyond his limits. He began probing the dark; capturing it; encasing it; pulling it back in. And as his scattered, disjointed memories began to reconstruct themselves, Phantom began to sense his body again. His lungs filling with air. His arms and legs – still bent and twisted – seemed to be under his control again. Fingers stretching into the blackness. Ears straining to hear.

Slowly, his eyes began to work. Vague, monochromatic shapes flashed before his eyes. Phantom extended his growing will, and his vision became crisper. The color returned to his surroundings. Everything around him looked unreal compared to the darkness he had just emerged from. The edges of the tall, stone buildings looked too sharp. The light spilling out from the wavy metal lampposts was too bright. There was no doubt about it – he was in another world.

Huge stone walls loomed around a small courtyard paved with beige stepping stones. Two twisted streetlamps bathed the square in a warm light, which was completely deserted – although signs of life could be seen.

Circular wooden tables – some still having the remnants of a meal on them – were strewn about an empty café to Phantom's left. A candle that was flickering softly in the apartment above the café was suddenly snuffed out as the rooms occupant settled into bed.

Another streetlamp sat at the top of a small set of stone steps. Phantom leaned heavily against the metal railing as he navigated the steps, his eyes drinking in his surroundings. Apparently he was in the town's market. A brightly lit sign at the top of the steps advertised jewelry while the shop to his left bore the vague title of 'Item Shop'.

Passing by several more shops – a significant number of which were vacant – Phantom came upon two massive wooden doors. He pressed a shaking palm against it and paused. Something was bothering him. A memory – no, a purpose. Yes, he was forgetting something. Phantom closed his eyes. Eight figures, hooded and cloaked in black, writhing on the ground. A red tattoo receding. Organization XIII. Simply remembering the name flooded his mind with thoughts and memories of ambition and conquest. The memories flashed through his mind in barely a second, and they left him feeling drained and confused. He couldn't quite place the memories, but it was obvious that he had, at some point, been intent on defeating the Organization. And that thought filled him with purpose.

Phantom pushed the wooden doors open, and proceeded.

The Second District was much larger and more wide-open then the first. Consisting of a rectangular lower level ringed by a raised walkway, this part of the town seemed like it is, or was at one point, the center of business. Numerous shops and apartments lined the edges of the square. Most had dusty 'out-of-business' signs prominently displayed in their front windows, but a few showed signs of occupancy. Scattered beams of golden light shined from the upstairs windows of a smattering of the buildings. One even had a spiral of smoke rising from its chimney. Unlike the lights from the First District, these were not made by the flickering of candlelight, but by some constant and unseen technological marvel. Indeed, everything in this district - from the uniformly cut tiling to the buzzing signs hanging over shop doors - suggested that this part of town was more technologically advanced than the other. Even the architecture of the surrounding buildings seemed slightly different; the lines of the buildings were more precise and uniform and the bricks and tile were machine cut with crisp, clean lines.

Phantom made his way down one of the upper paths, before stopping to catch his breath. He leaned his forehead against the cool glass of a nearby window, which helped somewhat to soothe the headache that was begin to form. Phantom scanned the contents of the shop window: a few flowery dresses worn by faceless mannequins, and several bits of jewelry displayed on satiny red pillows.

The jewelry reminded him of something. Phantom looked at his own hands, noticing with some shock that they were completely unadorned. His jewelry was gone. No…not jewelry…ARM. At the thought Phantom stumbled back from the window as though struck. A flood of memories surged through his mind, overwhelming him and loosening his already fragile hold on his existence. For a second time his memories were stripped away, swallowed into the abyss that was threatening to consume his entire body at any moment. He couldn't even remember his own name. At that realization he fell to his knees. The darkness forced its way into his being, probing far deeper than before. He clutched onto the metal railing, not only to control the spasms that had resumed, but to give his mind something to hold on to. He focused on the cold metal, on the way it pushed back, unyielding against his grip. And slowly he pushed back against the darkness. Forcing it out again. Drawing back his identity from the void.

Phantom spent some time hunched over on the ground, completely blind, sweat dripping from his forehead and pooling on the smooth tile.

Once Phantom had regained his vision, he realized how utterly exposed he was, standing in the middle of the plaza. He shakily made his way down a set of stone steps and into a long alley, which bent behind a row of nearby buildings. Following the path, he came to another large, wooden door, with the words 'District Three' carefully painted above. Like the door leading into the second district, it swung soundlessly open with little force.

Compared to the other two districts, this one was tiny, and definitely the least visited of the three. Bits of wood – left over from previous construction projects - were propped up in the corners of the square, forgotten. The windows of the surrounding buildings were completely dark, and a few even had large pieces missing, leaving jagged holes that grinned at him in the darkness.

Stepping out onto a rather large stone landing, Phantom took note of another change in architecture. His footsteps echoed on the spiral paving stones as he descended a wide set of steps. The stones transitioned to large square tiles as he stepped out into a wide square, edged with more lampposts. His eyes were immediately drawn to the opposite corner of the square, where a brightly lit golden fountain stood. On closer inspection it appeared to be of two dogs kissing. The fountain wasn't running, and Phantom peered into the mirror-like pool.

The face staring back at him was unfamiliar. His skin was a pale, ashen color. He was never very large, but his shoulders and arms were dangerously thin. But what was most shocking (although Phantom noted that his reaction was much more subdued than he was expecting) was his face. A vaguely humanoid sphere, there was little else there to distinguish it as his own. Two thin, pale lips, parted indifferently; a non-existent nose; and two black strips for eyes. No – this is not how he remembered himself. This was all wrong.

An image forced its way into his mind. A young man, dressed in pale blue robes with a large, white bandage concealing his entire right arm; pale blue hair topping a familiar face with deep purple eyes and a small, knowing smile. It was himself – or how he remembered himself looking.

Slowly the vision dissolved, leaving behind only the blank visage reflecting in the still pool. Though it was slightly different. The skin held a healthier flush. His lips were not as thin, and they twitched oddly as they formed a familiar sardonic grin. Phantom recalled the memory, and slowly the reflection in the water morphed into a vague simulacrum of the one that Phantom remembered. He slowly touched his face. Yes, it had changed. He could feel his nose, and saw his purple eyes blinking back at him.

Phantom tore his gaze away from his reflection, and up to the gold statue. For some reason the fountain was bothering him. The way that the golden light fell upon the statue; its prominence in the square; its carefully detailed features – all suggested that the fountain was meant to elicit an emotional response. But Phantom felt nothing – not saccharine joy or happiness, which were the obvious feelings that the sculptor was attempting to evoke. Not even a sense of cloying sentimentality that he knew he'd normally be feeling at the sight of it.

What cropped up instead was even more…disturbing. Images flashed through his mind's eye. Memories of his childhood; of flowers, and candies, and couples holding hands, and a multitude of other remembrances that he had grown to view as being overly-sentimental. And as the stream of consciousness rushed through his mind, he felt himself losing control of his thin grasp of reality. His limbs twitched and twisted more chaotically. His face was wiped clean, back to an unpainted, blank canvas. And that's when he heard the voice behind him.

"Bereft of heart, your form will be claimed by Nothingness. And nothingness, you will become."

* * *

Ginta felt his stomach rise up to his chest as he hung, weightless in midair. The image of the shadow filled courtyard was wiped from his vision, only to be replaced by complete, overwhelming darkness. His breath was coming in short, tight bursts. The sudden appearance of those shadow creatures coupled with his inability to see anything in front of him was making him terribly anxious. He kept worrying that the creatures were still there, slinking towards him in the darkness.

Luckily, he could still feel the cold steel of Babbo's handle in his grip. Which meant that he was alive and intact. Hopefully. The odd sensation of weightlessness gave way as his feet settled onto solid ground. His vision, however, was still completely black.

The lack of light was beginning to bother him. He was growing more claustrophobic; the intense weight of the darkness seemed to be closing in about him, suffocating him. Ginta shut his eyes, hoping to escape the darkness. Instead, he used his other senses to figure out where he was.

The air was cool – almost uncomfortably so, and it tasted somewhat stale. The faint sounds of rustling clothing and nervous shifting echoed in the darkness. He scraped one his shoes against the hard, rock-solid ground. Suddenly, Ginta heard a voice.

"Would whoever's hand that is please remove it?" Dorothy said, a note of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry," Nanashi said, though he didn't sound too ashamed. "I'm trying to remember where I put that light ARM." Ginta strained his eyes, trying desperately to locate the others through the blackness. "Ah, here it is."

A bright, intense light burst through the darkness, causing Ginta's eyes to snap shut again. He spent a few moments blinking furiously, trying to adjust his vision to the light. Once the glare faded from his eyes he took stock of the situation.

He appeared to be in some sort of small cave, except that there was no visible entrance. A small orb of light – similar to the one Dorothy used back in the Chess Pieces' castle – was floating above a square wooden table, around which most of the others were gathered. Numerous dusty crates and old wooden barrels were stacked neatly against the far wall, which appeared to have been created from a recent cave-in. Three small cots were pressed up against the flat rock wall behind him.

"Snow!" Ginta said, spotting her. She was lying, still unconscious, on the stone floor. Kneeling next to her was Ed.

"Oh, princess," Ed said, taking her hand. "Please be okay."

"She's okay," Ginta said, relieved that some of the color had started to return to her cheeks. "Just very tired." He picked her up and laid her down gently on one of the cots. Ed was instantly at her side.

"Thank you," the dog said, his eyes welling with tears. "Thank you for bringing her back." Ginta nodded, then he turned back to the others.

"Where are we?" he said, stepping towards the table.

"My emergency base," Nanashi said. He had his head stuck partway into one of the crates as he rummaged around. "I set it up a few years ago, just in case I ever needed to make a quick escape and the headquarters back at Luberia wasn't an option. Here," he said, tossing a bundle of blankets at Jack. "Make up those beds." Jack caught them and began to spread them out over the cots.

"How did we get here?" he asked as he draped a blanket over Snow.

"I used Adardta to teleport us here," Nanashi said as he busied himself with another crate. "It seemed like the safest place I could think of."

"Good thinking," Dorothy admitted, even though she looked like she was still deciding whether or not to slap Nanashi. "I was running out of ideas back there."

Ginta remembered the small, black shadow creatures and shivered. If Nanashi hadn't thought to run, he was sure that they'd have been overrun.

"What were those things?" Ginta said, taking a seat at the table. "Those – shadow creatures… Were they ARM?"

"I doubt it," Dorothy said, sitting down across from him. "I've never seen anything like it. Which leads me to believe that they have something to do with Organization XIII."

"Agreed," Gaira said, taking the third seat. He had his hand pressed up to his arm, where a large cut was leaking blood through his fingers. Probably a wound from one of the shadow creatures.

"Well, there's good news and bad news," Nanashi said, joining them at the table. He deposited a bundle of bandages onto the table, and Dorothy set to work attending to Gaira's arm. He also set down four wooden tankards full of the red juice that used to be Alan's preferred drink. "The good news is that quite a bit of the food held up, so we have supplies. The bad news is that I never expected there to be this many people in here at one time, so they'll probably go fast."

"I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in a cave, anyway," Babbo said, hopping up onto the corner of the table so that he could look everyone in the eye.

Everyone was bunched together around the tiny table, but Ginta couldn't help but feel like someone was missing. He surveyed the room. Ed was currently keeping watch over Snow, and everyone else was at the table. A faint glistening in the corner of the room caught his eye. It took a few seconds to pick her out, since she was so tiny, but eventually he focused on Belle hovering at shoulder height. Leaning heavily against the wall, partially obscured by shadows, was the person Ginta had forgotten.

"Something's wrong with Alviss!" Belle squeaked.

Alviss was leaning against the wall. He was holding his arms out in front of him, a look on his face suggesting that he'd never seen them before. They did look different, almost…empty.

Ginta jumped up from his seat. "Your tattoo!" It wasn't an illusion. The incurable Zombie Tattoo was conspicuously absent from Alviss' body. Not even Babbo's Holy ARM transformation, Alice, had any effect.

Alviss moved his hands closer to his face. "I don't understand it. The only way to get rid of the tattoo is for Phantom himself to remove the original tattoo from his own body. But he would never do that."

"I guess he did," Ginta said, cracking a grin. Alviss tore his gaze away from his hands, and a small smile crept onto his face. "I never thought I'd be rid of it." The relief in his voice was tangible. His shoulders relaxed, and his eyes gleamed with new life. It was like the weight of the world had lifted from his shoulders.

"Well, at least something good happened today," Ginta said, slapping him on the back. Alviss' smile quickly disappeared, replaced by sheer determination. He strode toward the table, pushing the empty tankards to the side.

"We can't stay here. Nanashi, do you have a map?"

"Yeah." Nanashi rummaged around in another crate before returning with an old, slightly worn map. He spread it out on the center of the table, using the empty tankards to pin down the edges. "It's an old one, but it's still fairly accurate."

Alviss' eyes darted around the map. After a few moments he pointed to Regenlief castle.

"This is where those creatures first appeared," he said, tracing a circle around the castle with his finger. "So we have to assume that it's fallen."

"I would go so far as saying that anything out in the open has as well," Nanashi said. "Our ARM were practically useless against those things. I can't imagine anyone else being able to hold them off for long."

"No way," Ginta interjected. "How can you just say that everyone is gone?"

"We have to plan for the worst case scenario," Alviss said quickly, before returning to the map. "That means that Gheilerul Port, Elto Town, Vestry, Acalupa Port and Pazurika Island are all lost," he said, crossing out each location as he said it.

"The Cross Guard has several secure garrisons," Gaira added, pointing out their locations on the map. "We should check to see if any have gathered there."

"I'll take a look around Luberia," Nanashi said. "I know of a few places like these that the other thieves like to use. I'm sure that a few fled there at the first sign of trouble."

"That doesn't leave us with a lot places to go," Babbo said grimly. "And I would rather avoid being locked up in a cave for the rest of my life. If only there was someplace safe…"

"Kaldea," Dorothy said, her hands on her hips. "It's one of the most protected countries on the planet. It has more magical defenses than you even know exist."

"But you said yourself that you've never seen these creatures before," Alviss said. "We can't assume that Kaldea is untouched."

"I'll go check, just to make sure," Dorothy said evenly, though she looked slightly rigid, like she wasn't entirely sure her home was safe.

"Gaira and I will go search the other garrisons for more troops," Alviss said. "Nanashi, you come with us, and then we'll go check for any survivors from Luberia." Nanashi nodded and rose from the table.

"What about us?" Ginta said. "Who should Jack, Babbo and me go with?"

"Stay here," Alviss said. Ginta opened his mouth to object, but Alviss held up a hand. "Someone needs to look after Snow. If those creatures find her, she'll be defenseless. Ginta frowned. He made a good point, but he still didn't want to be left behind.

"Anyway, you need to rest," Babbo said to him. "You've been through a lot lately with no break." Ginta noticed the ache permeating his body. Not only that, but the all of the running he did during the rescue mission had reopened his wounds. Warm, red blood forced through the medical gel that had been sealing them. The medicine that had been magically keeping him awake for the past few hours was beginning to wear off, too. His eyes were itching with tiredness, and he was finding it difficult to remain standing. Maybe it was a good idea for him to rest a little.

Alviss, Dorothy, Nanashi, and Gaira departed, and Ginta immediately felt his legs buckle. He made straight for the nearest cot. Ed was eyeing him suspiciously, so Ginta chose the bed farthest away from Snow and sank into it. It was stiff and squeaky, but he hardly cared. He barely had time to pull the blanket up to his chin before he was asleep.

Ginta woke with a start. He was still lying on a cot in Nanashi's cave. He must have been thrashing around a bit, since his blanket was coiled tightly around his right leg, cutting off the circulation. He was shivering, too – and only partly from the cold. His dreams had been permeated by the shadow monsters. The creatures were constantly squirming at the corner of his vision, getting closer with every second. Even now Ginta was eyeing the dark corners of the cave suspiciously.

It took a few moments for Ginta to extricate himself from his blankets, and then he swung his legs off of the cot.

"Look who's finally awake," Babbo said from his seat at the table. Jack, Ed, and Belle were there too. Along with Snow.

"Snow!" Ginta said, jumping to his feet and rushing towards her. "You're awake."

"Thanks to you," she said, smiling. She looked much better than before, although she still was awfully pale. Her eyes were red, and the skin around them was puffy.

"We were filling in Snow on what happened after she was kidnapped," Babbo said grimly. "There wasn't a lot of good news…"

"Oh Alan," Snow sniffed. Ginta laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to think of something comforting to say. "We have to stop Organization XIII," she said, and Ginta was taken aback by the steeliness of her voice. Apparently she wanted revenge just as much as he did.

"We will. I promise," Ginta said, nodding. "The others haven't gotten back yet?"

"Not yet," Belle said, fluttering down to take a seat on an overturned tankard. "I hope they're okay."

"They will be," Ginta said, but he wasn't so sure. The shadow creatures from his dream still hovered in the back of his mind. He got a sinking feeling as he realized that the others could be killed and they'd never even know it. Which would leave him and the others who were left behind trapped in this cave forever. No, he shouldn't think like that – it wouldn't do any good. He'd just have to be patient.

"How long was I out for?" Ginta asked, hoping that it was just a few hours.

"About twelve hours," Ed said. "Give or take – it's hard to tell in this cave. You must have been pretty exhausted."

"Twelve hours?" Ginta said, rubbing his eyes. The others should have been back by now. Refusing to dwell on it, he quickly cast his gaze around the room, hoping for something to keep him occupied. He surveyed the table, which was littered with the remains of a recent meal.

"I'm sorry Ginta," Snow said, noticing his gaze. "But we ate without you. We thought that it would be better to let you get some rest."

"There's more food over in those crates," Jack said, gesturing to the corner. "Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Nanashi had some special ARM that sealed the containers and preserved the food."

The containers themselves were simple wooden boxes, but each had a small, triangular ARM set into the top, which presumably prevented the contents from spoiling. Ginta rummaged around one of the already open boxes, selecting a few pieces of fruit, before taking a seat at the table, where Snow was detailing the rescue mission.

"…and that's when I woke up, and we," Snow cut off, blushing. Ginta could feel himself going red, remembering the kiss. Ed was eyeing him suspiciously, so Ginta decided to jump past that point in the story.

"Well, once we got Snow out of the cell we bolted," he said quickly. "And that's when those shadow creatures showed up."

"What creatures?" Snow asked, finally emerging from behind her hands.

"Oh, that's right, you fell back asleep," Ginta said. He then described the creatures, with their lamp-like eyes and sharp claws. But he didn't feel like he was creating a good enough image, since Snow didn't seem too worried. That is, until Jack commented on how all of their ARM were almost useless.

"But then, how are we supposed to fight them?" Snow asked, her hand gripped tightly around her snowman charm.

"I have no idea," Ginta said, shaking his head. "I just remember trying to attack them with Babbo, but they dodged almost every blow."

"It was like they were melting into the ground," Babbo said thoughtfully. "But we did get a few solid hits. Whenever they popped out of the shadows to attack, they were vulnerable."

"That's right," Jack said, remembering. "I definitely took out a few of them with my magic stones. Most of them dodged, but the ones that didn't kind of faded away."

Ginta tapped his chin. "And I remember Dorothy blowing some of them away with her broom." He leaned back in his chair, thinking. "So I guess those things can be harmed."

"It just isn't easy," Babbo agreed. "But difficult to harm is better that impossible to harm."

A small flicker of optimism sparked in Ginta's chest. If those creatures were vulnerable, then they were just like any other enemy. Things weren't quite as dark as they seemed. He was still worried – especially about Dorothy, Nanashi, Alviss, and Gaira. But they were all tough. He was pretty confident that they could fight off those creatures long enough to get back to the cave. Almost as if on cue, a bright flash of light illuminated the gloom of the cave. Ginta jumped to his feet. A bright flash? Just one? Oh no…

"What happened?!" Ginta shouted rushing over. "What's going on out there?"he asked, before the person had even settled into the visible spectrum.

"One thing at a time," Dorothy said, shaking off the disorientation that using Adardta caused.

"What's your report?" Babbo asked, offering his seat. She collapsed into it, exhausted. Jack, Ed, Belle and Ginta crowded around the table while Snow busied herself with gathering up the rest of the food for her.

"It's chaos out there," Dorothy sighed. "Pretty much everything above ground is just…gone."

"What about the others?" Ginta asked, fearing the worst. "Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Dorothy assured him. "Alviss and Gaira found a small group of survivors. They're putting together their resources now. Nanashi is staying with them so he can teleport them to Kaldea when they're ready."

"So Kaldea is safe?" Jack said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Kind of," Dorothy said, accepting the plate of food that Snow offered her. She picked up a purple fruit, but didn't take a bite. "It's magical defenses held up, just like I thought, but…" she paused, turning the fruit over in her hands. "The Chess Pieces are there."

"What?!" the others yelled simultaneously.

"Not all of them," Dorothy said. "But enough to take control of most of the western part of the country. They're disorganized, but a problem."

"What about those shadow creatures?" Jack asked. "Are they there too?"

Dorothy shook her head. "No, but they're right up against the borders. The magical guards at the edges of Kaldea are holding them back, but they do have a breaking point, so I'm not sure how long they'll hold."

"Is there anything we can do?" Snow asked.

"Just make sure you're ready for battle," Dorothy said. "We have to meet up with the others soon. Then, we have to come up with a plan."

"Alright," Ginta said, punching his fist into his palm. "Let's do this."

* * *

As soon as the Nobodies that were stationed in MAR returned to the World That Never Was, Xemnas sent out scouting groups. At this time teams of Dusks would be combing the many worlds, searching for Phantom's newly created Nobody – for Xemnas was sure that he would have a strong enough will to retain his form.

Of course, Xemnas did not intend to let a Dusk deal with him. Phantom would pay for attempting to disrupt the Organization's plans. Which is why Xemnas was out searching for the Nobody himself, so that he could deal with him personally.

The task of finding the Nobody was not very difficult. Whenever a Nobody was formed, it would immediately be rejected by both the realms of Light and Darkness. Meaning that it would be thrust into one of the worlds in between light and darkness. And judging by its close proximity to MAR, Xemnas was confident that Phantom's Nobody would appear at any moment.

The First District of Traverse Town was oddly silent. Normally the world served as a refuge for those whose original worlds had fallen into darkness. However, thanks to Sora, many of the refugees have been able to return home. There were a few stragglers, but most of them would probably be asleep at this time. Not that telling time was easy in Traverse Town.

Xemnas perched on the rooftop of one of the surrounding buildings, looking up at the perpetually night sky, counting the stars – each one representing a world – twinkling overhead. So many inhabited worlds. So many hearts. So many mysteries…

Movement from down in the square drew his attention. A small smile spread across his face. Finally, he had company.

Phantom's Nobody was a wreck. Its body was convulsing oddly. Its long, thin limbs twisted into uncomfortable positions. Clearly it was having trouble acclimating itself to its lack of a heart. It took incredible amounts of willpower for a being to survive the transition of losing its heart and becoming a Nobody. If Phantom managed to hold onto his memories, then his body would soon settle back to its normal form. If not, it would remain twisted and weak, taking the form of a Dusk or Creeper, or perhaps one of the Lessers, if it was lucky. Assuming, of course, that it was not absorbed by the darkness altogether.

The Nobody slowly made its way across the square and up a set of stone steps. Its body was still contorting itself, but less chaotically then before. It took small, deliberate steps up the stairs, clutching at the metal railing. Apparently Phantom was slowly getting control over his new form. However, his victory would be brief. The initial acclimation period could take several hours, throughout which the Nobody would be constantly assailed by the darkness as it tried to wipe it from existence. Phantom had not won yet.

Phantom's pace was painfully slow as he trudged through the First District. Every step seemed like an impossible task. The Nobody paused for long periods, observing the most mundane of objects: a wall, a lamppost, a stone step, almost as though he was unsure of their reality. Still, Xemnas waited. It would be a simple matter to destroy the cretin now, but he still had a few questions that he wanted answered. And Phantom's Nobody couldn't handle an interrogation, at least not in its present state.

The Nobody finally made its way to the Second District. It wandered around the courtyard, examining the shops' windows, before it doubled over, clutching weakly at the metal railing above it. A new wave of darkness wracked its body, and Xemnas began to worry that it would be overcome. Phantom's Nobody fought back, and once it managed to get back to its feet it searched the district for an exit. After several minutes of staggering about, it managed to find the door to District Three. Xemnas silently leapt to another rooftop, so that he would have a better view.

Phantom's Nobody made a beeline for the golden water fountain. It peered into the still water, and slowly its body transformed, until it resembled its old self.

Xemnas leapt down from his perch on the rooftops, landing gracefully in the square below. He would have to question the Nobody quickly, before it completely regained its memories and had the good sense to dive into a Corridor of Darkness.

The Nobody was still hunched over the fountain when he spoke.

"Bereft of heart, your form will be claimed by Nothingness. And nothingness, you will become.

The Nobody slowly turned to face him, and while it still retained some of Phantom's normal form – namely his hair and complexion – many of the finer details of his face were wiped away. The Nobody couldn't control the flood of memories rushing through its mind. The world around it was distracting him. It had an innate need to make sense of its memories, but it also longed to anchor itself to the real world. By trying to do both at the same time, it was keeping its grip on neither. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to get a straight answer from it. It would either sort through its memories, or dissolve into nothingness.

Of course, Xemnas couldn't risk that. He needed to interrogate the Nobody. In order to do that, he would have to insulate it from the darkness that was incessantly probing it, attempting to rob it of its memories – of its identity. No matter. Once he was done with his questioning, he would turn the traitor into a Dusk, if he didn't decide to destroy him outright.

Xemnas stretched out his arm, his palm facing Phantom's Nobody. Black and white tendrils shot from his hand, seeking out the Nobody. They coiled around its body, entwining its arms, legs, torso and head in a tight embrace.

The tendrils eventually faded away into nothingness, leaving behind Phantom's Nobody, adorned in the trademark black coat of the Organization.

The Nobody examined its garment, opening and closing its newly gloved hand. It let out a sigh of relief, as though a great stress had been lifted from its shoulders. It closed its eyes, drinking in the memories that flowed through its mind, unfettered by the surrounding darkness.

The first memories that the Nobody would reacquaint itself with were memories of itself – or, more specifically, how it looked. Sure enough, the Nobody's face began to shift as Phantom's old facial features formed on its blank face. Its hair grew to approximately its original length, and began to shift hues until it settled on a shade reminiscent of its natural silver color. Its gloved hands probed its face, relieved at the familiar touch of its features. Its peace was short lived, since now more complicated memories pushed to the front of his mind.

"The…King…" Phantom's Nobody said quietly, almost absentmindedly, to itself. It almost seemed like it didn't realize that Xemnas was standing there.

Xemnas frowned. The King… he'd almost forgotten. Of course, it made sense. The Chess Pieces formed their hierarchy after the pieces in the titular game; it was only natural that there would be a King involved. And if the Chess Pieces kept up their habit of having higher ranks be exponentially stronger than the ones before, than this King could still be a threat.

"Tell me all that you know about the King," Xemnas probed.

The Nobody continued to mumble to itself, repeating the same words over and over. Eventually Xemnas grabbed the Nobody beneath the chin, directing its attention to him.

"I am your superior," Xemnas said, glaring into its eyes. "You will answer me."

The Nobody stared up at him, its eyes having trouble focusing, its mouth hanging slack.

"Name?" it mumbled. "Name," it repeated, more urgently this time.

Xemnas sighed. It was common for new Nobodies to be obsessed with having a name – an identity. It provided them with an anchor for which to stay chained to their existence. If he wanted any coherent answers from the Nobody, he would have to provide him with a name. But it galled him to have to perform the ceremony on this creature. No, this impertinent nothing did not deserve to bear the sigil. He could not be counted amongst the thirteen. Soon enough he would be a faceless Lesser, devoid of individuality. A tool to further the Organization's goals.

Xemnas waved his hand, and seven translucent letters appeared in the air before the Nobody, spelling out 'Phantom'. Normally the letters would rearrange themselves, symbolizing the being's new identity as a member of the Organization. But not this time. This time they remained stationary, spelling out Phantom – the name of an enemy of the Organization.

The Nobody stared at the letters with glossy eyes. It took a few moments, but then comprehension dawned on his face. The name seemed to awaken some deep seeded memory, for Phantom's blank stare became harsher and more focused. He lashed out with his arm, swiping at Xemnas.

Xemnas deftly leapt back, his boots sliding on the tile. So Phantom wanted to fight. That would simplify things, although it meant that his chance to interrogate him had passed. So be it. He would compensate by sending out more teams of Dusks to scout for the King. "The Organization," Phantom said, his eyes glazing over as he recalled the memory. "I wanted to – no, I want to," he said, correcting himself. "To crush you."

"An empty threat," Xemnas responded, his arm swinging as though he was actually brushing the comment away. "You are a broken creature. Filled with nothingness. And that is my domain."

Phantom gave a sly – but forced – grin. "Well, then I will have to dethrone you." A ball of darkness surrounded his right fist. The ball of energy wobbled violently as it thinned and elongated into a long shaft. The tip of the shaft flattened and widened, forming a cruel blade. Once the ball of energy had assumed the general shape of the halberd, the finer details began to sharpen. The three foot long obsidian blade was decorated with silver etchings, which, upon closer inspection, were of all of the different chess pieces – pawn, rook, bishop, knight, queen, and king. The hilt was topped with what appeared to be a crowned skull – a modified version of the Chess Piece's insignia – which was wreathed in shadow and flame.

"Intriguing," Phantom said, eyeing the weapon eagerly. "So my ARM are not gone."

Xemnas' weapons did not take nearly as long to summon. With a flash of electricity his crimson ethereal blades exploded from his palms. The sudden movement shook Phantom from his thoughts, and he lunged at Xemnas, his halberd trailing black flames.

Xemnas deftly sidestepped, almost amused with Phantom's sluggish attempt to attack. With two swift motions he brushed aside the halberd with one ethereal blade, then slammed Phantom into the ground with the other.

Jumping to his feet, Phantom retaliated with a stab from his halberd, but Xemnas pushed it away before spinning and attacking with another slash from a crimson blade. Phantom ducked beneath the blade and then leapt backwards out of Xemnas' reach.

Phantom flexed his fingers, staring at them curiously. "I feel…odd." Xemnas smirked. Phantom had just lost his heart and gone through an immense physical change, and he yet he still expected to immediately have full control of his powers. Pathetic.

Xemnas faced an open palm at Phantom. The ethereal blade contracted towards his palm, shortening to just a foot in length. The bolt grew brighter as Xemnas dumped more energy into it, and with a slight flex of his fingers a volley of red ethereal bolts hurtled toward Phantom.

The Nobody eyed them curiously, following their trajectory with his narrowed eyes. At the last second his right arm flashed upwards, and sheets of clear, hexagonal plates streamed from his arm, ordering themselves into an interlocking dome before him. Splashes of red and bright white blossomed over the shield as the bolts impacted, rattling the windows of the surrounding buildings.

Xemnas cocked an eyebrow. Phantom was definitely full of surprises.

The half-bubble of interlocking plates flickered as they glided back to Phantom's arm, where they shimmered slightly before winking out of existence. Phantom stared at the shards until the last one disappeared.

"Still think this is going to be an easy fight?" he said, looking up at Xemnas and grinning.

"Yes."

Both Nobodies exploded into action; Phantom fired balls of black flames from his palm, as Xemnas stooped low, placing his hand on the cold tile. Xemnas got a brief view of one of the blasts exploding on the ground next to him, sending out shards of shattered tile and shrapnel, before an obsidian dome of darkness burst from the ground, encasing him.

The dome of darkness was an amazing defensive tactic. By plunging himself into the darkness between worlds, Xemnas could effectively dodge any attack, since he no longer actually existed in that world. However, using it sacrificed all sight, meaning that he would have to guess at Phantom's location, and then be prepared for anything. Not that he was worried. He'd used this tactic so often it was second nature. Besides, he was a Nobody - he was incapable of feeling worried.

Xemnas made a mental note of where Phantom was standing, and compensated slightly for Phantoms lean, which made Xemnas anticipate that his position would shift a few feet to the right. The dome glided silently across the stone tile as Xemnas guessed at Phantom's new location. Xemnas took a deep breath, and the dome of darkness dropped back into the ground. Phantom was three feet to the right of where he had remembered, but that was close enough. His two ethereal blades ignited from his palms, and he launched into a flurry of strikes, using his superior speed and acrobatics to dazzle his opponent. Phantom swung low, hoping to take out Xemnas' legs; Xemnas responded by flipping vertically in the air, his ethereal blades pin-wheeling as he scored two bone breaking strikes on his shoulder and ribs. Phantom quickly recovered and blocked all of the rest, and with a series of fluid movements, he switched from defense to offense, his halberd filling the air with black flames as it spun in a series of intricate cuts, parries, and stabs.

Xemnas noted grimly that Phantom's dexterity and agility were rapidly increasing. While only moments before he was almost stumbling around the battlefield like a drunken sailor, now he displayed utmost mastery of combat. His fighting style was refined and precise. Xemnas noted that his expert footwork made it impossible for Xemnas to retaliate. Well, impossible for him to retaliate at his current power level.

With hardly a second of pause Xemnas boosted his energy. With a burst of speed he disappeared from view, reappearing seven feet in the air behind Phantom. He released a small arc of ethereal bolts as he strafed by, drawing Phantom's attention away from the red lasers by circling to his front. The blasts hung in midair for a moment before firing, just as Xemnas was assaulting Phantom's front. With one swift motion Phantom ducked underneath a swipe from an ethereal blade while spinning around, his halberd leaving behind arcs of flame as it gracefully sliced the incoming bolts, deflecting them into one of the surrounding buildings. One glass window shattered as a bolt crashed through it, illuminating the room with a flash of crimson light. The other two pulverized the concrete exterior, sending chunks of masonry crumbling to the ground.

Xemnas landed on the ground behind Phantom. His palm glowed red as a barrage of bolts shot from his palm. Phantom was still in mid turn, his eyes searching frantically for his enemy. Just before the bolts impacted several clear hexagonal plates peeled away from his arm, interlocking a few feet from his face. The plates glowed red hot as they absorbed the impact from the bolts. Xemnas frowned. He had been certain that his attack was going to connect.

The shield of plates separated and condensed, stretching out into needle thin shards. With a snap of Phantoms fingers the shards flung themselves at Xemnas. He fired a few more bolts, which intercepted the shimmering shards with tiny explosions. Xemnas batted away the few shards that made it through, then turned to face Phantom, who had strafed sideways and was sprinting towards him. He stabbed with his halberd, and Xemnas blocked, his ethereal blade giving off red and yellow sparks where Phantom's blade pushed against it. The two Nobodies struggled, each one trying to push their weapon into the other's throat. Xemnas noticed a slight glistening in his peripherals; several of Phantoms hexagonal plates had peeled away from his arm and were floating ominously over his shoulder. The plates lengthened into shards, quivering slightly as they spun in the air, orienting their lethal points to his head. And still he struggled, his two ethereal blades pressing adamantly against Phantom's halberd. The shards whistled through the air, and Xemnas retracted his blades into his palms. Phantom stumbled forward. Xemnas spun, his blades stretching to full length and disintegrating the shards just inches from his head. Phantom caught himself with his left hand, and snapped his right back, his halberd slicing the air behind him. Xemnas had used another burst of speed to disappear, this time reappearing over Phantom's head. He left an arch of glowing bolts in his wake, then disappeared and reappeared again, this time to Phantom's side. The first arc of bolts fired just as he finished laying out the second, and Phantom deployed another shield of hexagonal plates to protect him. He pushed himself to his feet, and immediately had to raise his halberd to guard, since Xemnas had reappeared again in front of him, his ethereal blades extended and pressing towards his throat. No sooner had his shield of plates absorbed the first salvo of bolts they reoriented over his shoulder, preparing to block the next. Phantom turned his attention back to Xemnas, but he was gone, having teleported behind him, trailing more ethereal bolts.

More plates had to peel themselves from his arms to shield him from Xemnas' bolts, which were quickly filling the air around him. Xemnas was varying the time delays before each salvo fired; some shot right away, leaving Phantom with barely a second to order more plates to form a shield; other times the bolts hung, silent in midair, waiting for Phantom's guard to shift before firing. And still Xemnas attacked, at one moment releasing another ring of bolts, the next attacking Phantoms front, his blades fully extended and buzzing as he deftly swung them in complex, acrobatic combinations. If Phantom hadn't been a Nobody – and been an especially powerfully being before that – he wouldn't have been able to keep up. Glistening plates streamed from his arm, shielding him from the bolts or pulling themselves into razor sharp shards and raining down on Xemnas, who swatted them out of the air or else teleported away, leaving another salvo of ethereal bolts in his wake. All the while Phantom's halberd was filling the air with the flicker of shadow flames. He parried Xemnas' ethereal blades, then retaliated with lightning quick slashes and stabs that forced Xemnas to teleport out of the way.

The courtyard was filled with crimson bolts, interlocking plates, glinting shards, and onyx black flames, yet neither Nobody was willing to give an inch. Neither would relent. Finally, after several minutes, once the final bolt had fired and the last of the black flames had died, the two Nobodies stood on opposite ends of the courtyard, neither having broken a sweat.

"This power truly is amazing," Phantom said. He snapped his fingers, and the remains of his hexagonal plates streamed from the ground. The shards liquefied, then reformed, completely undamaged.

"Indeed," Xemnas replied, allowing himself a small grin. "It is a shame. We could have made such use of you."

Phantom raised his eyebrows. "I am not a pawn." The plates floating behind him elongated into shards, each one pointing at the same location between Xemnas' eyes. With a flick of his wrist they launched. Xemnas sighed, then brushed the ground with his hand, summoning another dome of darkness. Had Phantom really expected that ploy to work?

Xemnas allowed a few seconds for the shards to pass, then lowered the dome. Xemnas was almost surprised to see Phantom in mid leap, his halberd angled at his chest. Xemnas could have dodged again, but he decided that he had humored Phantom for long enough.

"Guard!" he shouted, and a pulse of dark electrical energy shot from his palm. In an instant it expanded between them. Both of Phantom's arms and one of his legs got caught in the bolts of electricity that darted through the shield's square framework. He hung limp for a moment before he was hurled backwards and onto the ground.

Xemnas was preparing the deathblow before Phantom was able to push himself back to his feet. He raised his hand, pushing out both the light and the darkness from his palm, leaving behind nothing in its wake. An empty void. Pure nothingness filled his palm, ready to drain existence from whatever it touched.

Phantom eyed the ball of nothing suspiciously, as though a part of him intuitively understood what it was. The orb shimmered oddly, at one minute shining bright as the sun and the other looking as empty as space. With barely a seconds pause Xemnas hurled the orb. Phantom dove left, a dark portal opening before him. He was halfway through when the orb impacted the ground at his feet. Black and white tendrils began snaking up his legs, pulling him out of the portal. Phantom strained against the bonds, which were coiling up to just above his knees. Once the thorns reached his head, they would drain his memories and his identity. Leaving behind only a Dusk. As a final, desperate act Phantom fired a blast of energy from his palm. The resulting explosion trusted him forward, into the Corridor of Darkness, which promptly disappeared. Xemnas barely had time to raise his eyebrows in faux-shock.

What a resourceful being. He would have to send out his best assassins to deal with him.

Xemnas opened a dark portal back to the World That Never Was. He would assemble the rest of the thirteen. Then they could discuss the Organization's plans for MAR.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed! Until next time. _


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